Major General Dahlan Jumaan Al Hamad, president of the Asian and Qatari federations and vice-president of the IAAF, said they were looking forward to a distinguished and successful hosting of the Asian Indoor Athletics Championships, following the successful organisation of the 2008 edition. Speaking at a press conference in the conference hall of the Wyndham Hotel, Major General Al Hamad said the Asian Indoor Championships is one of the most important championships of the current season and one of the major events Qatar is hosting in line with the country’s 2030 vision. Al Hamad, who chairs the championship’s organising committee, said: “We have set high standards for organising such an important, large-scale sporting event. As you know, Qatar continues to build a lasting legacy as a host country for sporting activities at the continental, regional and media levels, and in the athletics federation we have gained a great deal of experience with a global impact in athletics. The federation’s working team has prepared all the arrangements for hosting so that the experience is outstanding and reaches its peak in 2019 with the hosting of the World Championships, which will be an opportunity to strengthen the federation’s international standing in hosting continental championships.”
Al Hamad went on to say: “Over the three days of competition, we will see the participation of an elite group of champion athletes, and the signs are that this championship will be one of the most prominent indoor championships on the continent.”
Different cultures
He added: “Our athletes represent different cultures and ethnicities, and everyone competes under the umbrella of the Asian federation. This is a truly unique event on a global scale, given the wide range of participants and the constant competition. In this championship we have 600 athletes taking part, representing 37 countries, who will compete while upholding sporting values in pursuit of achievements and records, in order to earn the honour of winning championships and titles, in preparation for the World Indoor Athletics Championships in Portland, United States.”
Great pride in the continent’s elite athletes
Major General Dahlan Al Hamad confirmed that, as an organising committee, they are proud that an elite group of the world’s brightest athletes in the sport are taking part in the championship, such as Olga Rypakova of Kazakhstan, Qatar’s high jump champion Mutaz Essa Barshim, China’s Li Ling, Indian title holder Om Prakash Karhana in the shot put, Iran’s Maryam Fatoosi, Qatar’s Musaab Abdalla, Saudi Arabia’s long jump champion Mohammed Al Khuwalidi, and champion Svetlana Radzivil, in addition to 12 athletes holding world records and 9 holding Asian records, meaning competition will be fierce with the host nation’s champions, who won the title in the 2014 edition.
Al Hamad expressed his great confidence that all the athletes are eagerly looking forward to competing under the Aspire Dome, said to be the largest multipurpose sports hall in the world, and said he was confident that the delegations, numbering up to 430 people, would enjoy Doha’s current weather as well as Aspire’s superb facilities, all the other organisational arrangements, and Qatari hospitality.
Special appreciation for Lord Coe
Major General Al Hamad thanked the two giant sports organisations Aspire and Aspetar for their efforts and support, and also thanked IAAF president Lord Sebastian Coe for attending the meeting of the Asian federation’s executive office, where the board was briefed on everything happening on the global scene; they discussed the Asian point of view with him, and the board of directors offered its full support to the president of the IAAF and pledged to stand with him to get through the difficulty the sport is going through.
He explained that the meeting had been productive and that many important decisions had been taken during it, such as confirming that the next championship would be held in the city of Ranchi, India, and that China had been given the honour of hosting the 2016-2017 Asian Marathon Championship and the 2017 Youth Championships in Bangkok, Thailand.
Three terms for the Asian federation president
He went on to say: “I proposed to the board that the office of president be limited to three terms only, with an age limit of 70, and the board approved a number of other recommendations, including a decision to review our constitution so that it is in line with the changes and consistent with the IAAF; we also studied a recommendation to urge federations to work to increase youth activities.”
Nine Asian committees
Al Hamad revealed that, following the Asian federation elections, 9 subcommittees had been formed to assist the board and bring expertise into the running of athletics affairs on the board, and that a meeting of all the committees had preceded the board meeting, at which many recommendations were put forward and many decisions passed to serve the sport’s progress, the most important being the Asian athletics calendar, which is always one of the hardest things to determine, given the need to take into account the activities of national federations, since these are the foundation that drives the sport forward; a working group had been formed to study the calendar of Asian federations and link it to the global calendar, so that there is no clash and no athlete is forced to choose between competing globally and taking part in Asian competition, since we always want our champions to take part.
The importance of marketing
On the importance of the role of the Asian federation’s marketing committee in raising the standard of the sport, Al Hamad said: “Marketing is indeed one of the important things in running the sport, because it is a commercial product, and if the elements that make up that product are not there, you will have no presence in the sponsorship market. That is why we decided that our leading champions should take part in the Asian federation’s activities, to attract sponsors to our championships.”
He stressed that the decision to award the marathon to China was because of the large market that exists there, and because there had been demand from commercial bodies to sponsor these races, for which China is well known and which have achieved many successes over the past period.
Indoor championships will continue in Asia
On the continuation of indoor championships, Al Hamad confirmed they will continue because of their importance, being one of the fundamental championships worldwide. The indoor championship is the only one held in the winter season, and champions who start their season early are keen to take part in it. Although there is a shortage of indoor halls in Asia, we will try to give the championship greater momentum because it is successful, and I believe it will continue strongly; many countries now have indoor halls, and there are now Olympic indoor games, which encourages the building of halls, and we are trying to be among those who benefit from that.
Strength at the centre of decision-making
Al Hamad said Asian members hold 7 seats on the IAAF, which has become very important because the IAAF is the main decision-making centre for athletics policy in the world, which helps us shape decisions in the Asian federation. Athletics is the future in Asia because 40% of births take place in Asia, meaning it is the future hub of the sport, and our contributions must be strong so that we can chart the future course for Asia.
Youth championships
He noted that the youth championship, held for the first time in Qatar, had been something the Asian continent lacked, and that they are keen for this championship to continue, with the next edition to be held in Bangkok in 2017, a clear sign of commitment to its continuation in the future.
Al Hamad said they would review the championships currently on the calendar to see whether they serve their purpose, and that the matter had been postponed to the next meeting on the sidelines of the youth championship in Vietnam, in order to approve the new calendar in line with the athletes and with all marketing matters.
Doping is a concern for everyone
On doping and what is happening on the global scene, Al Hamad said: “This has become a concern for everyone, and the bodies responsible around the world, whether international federations or Olympic committees, are all being cautious and trying to put in place preventive methods to combat this scourge. We are an integral part of that picture, and it is very important to put in place programmes to raise athletes’ awareness. As an Asian federation, we apply the system of the IAAF and WADA, and we have formed a legal committee whose tasks include following up on all legal matters by enacting laws that curb the slide into doping, and we are keen for the continent to be aware on this issue.”
Outside the Asian sphere
On Kenya’s decision to impose a prison sentence on anyone proven to have used doping substances: “Doping is the enemy of humanity, and as vice-president of the IAAF I can confirm that the board has formed an independent committee that operates independently to investigate around the world without interference from any party, and we trust this independent committee to reach good decisions that will benefit us in the future.”
As for the impact of the Zika virus in Brazil on athletes, he replied: “We know this is an Olympic Games with participants from many different sports, not just one, and the Olympic committee is keen on the safety of the athletes, and Brazil itself is also a country that is keen on people’s safety. I am certain the Olympic committee is following everything going on to protect athletes in Brazil and beyond.”
Nicholas: Qatar is developing in athletics
Maurice Nicholas, Secretary General of the Asian Athletics Association, confirmed that Asia has been developing over the years: “When we started, we organised only a few championships, but now we have many athletes producing good standards and setting records, as we see in Qatar and Bahrain.” Nicholas praised champion Mutaz Essa Barshim, who has become one of the best athletes in the world.
He said: “I believe what has been achieved in Asia is thanks to working professionally, not as amateurs the way we used to in the past.”
Samuel Francis:
I am giving everything I have for a medal
Qatar’s Samuel Francis, the former holder of the title of fastest man in Asia, confirmed he was fully ready to take part in the seventh Asian Indoor Athletics Championships, and said he would give everything he had to reach the medal podiums.
Samuel Francis said: “I suffered repeated injuries over the past period, which even affected my morale, but I have now been working with a new coach who has helped me a great deal, and I have been working hard and giving my utmost in training, so I will be ready to compete in the championship.”
He added: “I am trying to win, and I will not be afraid to prepare in the best possible way for the World Championships and also the Olympic Games, where the goal is to reach the final and win a medal, so things are being taken step by step.”
