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One more Asian GP meet

COLOMBO AUG 9. An additional Asian Grand Prix leg would be added to the Asian athletics calendar next year, either to be held here or in Kuala Lumpur.

The next Asian championships would be held in Manila next year, to mark the beginning of a new cycle. Rather, it would be a fallback onto the old cycle.

Explaining the deliberations of the Asian Amateur Athletic Association (AAAA), now renamed Asian Athletics Association (AAA), its President, Mr. Suresh Kalmadi, said that talks were going on to decide whether Colombo or Kuala Lumpur would hold the new leg of the Asian Grand Prix circuit.

The dates for the Grand Prix meets were yet to be fixed, but Mr. Kalmadi indicated that there would be an increase in prize money. The AAA was in the process of tying up a sponsorship agreement with Dengsu, Japan, in association with the International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF). The first meet would be in Hyderabad, the second in Colombo or Kuala Lumpur, the third in Bangkok and the last one in Manila.

The AAA which had its Council meeting and the Congress, would be formulating a new set of guidelines to make sure that the best in Asia participated in the Asian GP circuit. "We are in the process of bringing in regulations to ensure that the Grand Prix is the most important competition for our athletes,'' said Mr. Kalmadi.

The change in name from AAAA to AAA had to come about, to fall in line with the international federation and the practice all over the sporting world. Amateurism is a thing of the past. But many would have desired that AAAA was retained even while shedding amateurism as did the international federation in retaining its acronym.

The Asian All-Star championships, to include the best from every region, would be held in Singapore in 2004. It was also decided to start youth competitions in various regions before starting an Asian youth championships.

The Asian indoor championships will be held in Teheran next year, with the next edition in China and the 2007 meet in Japan.

Asia was neglected for long by the IAAF but it was now demanding a better deal from the international federation, Mr. Kalmadi, who is also a Council member of the IAAF, said. He added that under the new IAAF President, Mr. Lamine Diack, an attempt was being made to spread the resources around rather than concentrating on Europe alone.

The Council appointed Dr. Luo Chaoyi, CEO and Vice President of the Chinese Athletic Association to fill in the vacancy caused by the resignation of Mr. Shang Xiutang. The next elections to the AAA, though due in 2004, would be held in 2005. This was to continue with the practice of elections being held alongside the Asian championships. With a new cycle coming in a postponement was approved by the Congress. — Our Special Correpondent

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