WA Pres Lord Coe hails gov’t support for CAA Snr. Athletics Championship
The president of World Athletics (WA), Lord Sebastian Coe, has paid tribute to the government of Ghana for committing resources to the hosting of the 24th Confederation of African Athletics (CAA) African Senior Athletics Championships, which begins today at the University of Ghana Stadium, Legon.
Speaking at a media interaction yesterday, ahead of the opening ceremony, Lord Coe was full of praise for the government contribution towards the championship.
“Organising such events is not easy; political support is absolutely critical in an event like this. Yes, you need sponsors and a good organising committee, yet none of these happens unless leadership from the very highest political platform in the nation is involved,” he stated.
The four-time Olympic medalist is in Ghana to take part in the CAA Executive Council meeting, to watch the African Senior Athletics Championships.
“The Ministry of Sports and Recreation and all the agencies involved in the general organisation of the championship deserve a pat on the back for all they have done to ensure the hosting of this prestigious event,” he noted.
“We just witnessed an outstanding World Relay in Gaborone, Botswana last week, and I think Africa showed why they were at the heart of the global calendar.”
While expressing delight at the general output of events ahead of the start of the championship, the retired track and field athlete stated that he hoped the championship would be an outstanding one.
According to him, beyond the championship, there were many important aspects in the sport, particularly regarding building capacity and engaging more young people in athletics.
“For me, ensuring that Africa is properly represented when we stage events anywhere in the world with technical officials, coaches, etc, is important, and this was a large part of the discussion at the CAA council meeting on Sunday,” he said.
Describing Africa as a continent that has contributed so much to the sport of athletics over the last 50 years, Lord Coe revealed that he enjoyed his career among some great African athletes.
“A large part of my own career as a track athlete was defined by great African athletes with whom I competed across the whole of Africa, not just in one region.”
“So, the challenge, going forward is the same challenge we have on all our continents-to maintain the supremacy of our sport, to sustain its interest and excitement among young people, and to foster a lifelong bond with them so that when they choose to become competitors, they stay on as coaches, administrators, or educators and help continue the tradition,” he outlined.
He also indicated that athletics sits at the heart of many communities in Africa, which is very apparent; that is why the kids’ athletics programme was so important.
The 69-year-old administrator congratulated Ghana’s 4×100 relay team for qualifying for the World Championship next year in Beijing, China.
The six-day Africa’s foremost track and field championship, which will end on Sunday, May 17, will feature 44 distinct disciplines and will bring together more than 1,500 athletes and 500 officials from an expected 54 countries.
BY RAYMOND ACKUMEY
Follow our WhatsApp Channel now! https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbAjG7g3gvWajUAEX12Q
