Africa Fears Changes Are Bad News
September 15, 2009 | By Reuters
NAIROBI (Reuters) - Kenyans and Ethiopians dominated the distance
races at the last World Athletics Final at the weekend but Africans fear
they are in danger of becoming irrelevant in the sport despite the depth
of their talent.
last month.
The senior men's team races at the championships have been won by
Ethiopia or Kenya every year since 1981. On the women's side, only
Portugal, in 1994, have interrupted an African run of victories going
back 18 years.
Former champion Paul Tergat said the decision was unfair.
"This is contrary to the universal appeal of sport as a unifying factor, as
a forum for athletes from all over the whole world to showcase their
talent, regardless of race, religion or status," Tergat, who won the
men's senior title between 1985 and 1989, told Reuters.
"Giving such a reason for making such an unpopular decision is not fair
to African athletes whose only fault is to work hard to win those titles.
That is killing the spirit of sport."
The World Athletics Finals -- held last weekend over two days in the
Greek city of Thessaloniki -- are being replaced under a new format
that has created a Diamond League to be held in Asia, Europe and the
United States. Africa will not host any events.
GLOBAL APPEAL
Next year, the series finals will be split over two weekends with half the
events being contested in Zurich and half in Brussels.
Thessaloniki was a triumph for African runners who won every
distance event. Of the 12 qualifiers in the men's 5,000-metres final, nine
were Kenyans and three, including winner Imane Merga, were from
Ethiopia.
The World Cup, a competition between continents, has been redesigned
to merge Asia with Oceania as one team and North, Central and South
America as another team. Africa and Europe are the only continents
which will compete independently.
Pierre Weiss, general secretary of IAAF, said the changes would
enhance the global appeal of athletics.
"This new (Diamond) League replaces the Golden League by meeting a
strategic goal of the IAAF, notably enhancing the worldwide appeal of
athletics, by going outside Europe."
League events will be held, from May to August, in Doha, Shanghai,
Oslo, Rome, New York, Eugene, Lausanne, Gateshead, Paris, Monaco,
Stockholm and London.
"With the new (World Cup) structure we hope to achieve a more
competitive format. Merging Asia with Oceania is also to strengthen the
participation of both continents," said Weiss.
Kenyan IAAF Council member Isaiah Kiplagat said Africa needed to
take a hard look at the future of its athletes and draw up a strategic plan
to deal with the changes in the sport.
"Television sponsorship is becoming more Euro-centric, hence the
change of World Cross Country Championships from an annual to
biennial event," said Kiplagat. "Events that are popular in Africa like
steeplechase don't feature in the money circuit programme as often as
the sprints and field events.
SPECTACULAR SPORT
"We used to have IAAF Cross Challenge series where cross country
runners accrued points towards winning grand prizes. Now the World
Cross Country has become biennial. It could go altogether because
many delegates think it was a mockery of competition and its winners
would easily be predicted."
He said it was not the fault of Africans that they dominated cross-
country, just proof of their talent.
Tergat called for more appreciation of cross-country running.
"This is the sport where one tackles hills, mud, obstacles and virtually
everything. We thought it could be included in the Olympic Games
programme soon," the 40-year-old Kenyan said.
"Cross-country is one of the most spectacular sports. Track and road
runners launch their careers there. The reasons given are not in the best
interest of sports."
Dube Jillo, technical director of the Ethiopian Athletics Federation,
agreed and said he felt "the utter disappointment of not just Ethiopia but
the entire eastern African region."
"We're not happy at all. This will affect our athletes seriously. We are
very disappointed by the IAAF because World Cross Country
Championships is one of the most important events for our runners,"
Jillo said by telephone from Addis Ababa.
Kiplagat said that for Africa to remain relevant in athletics, its people
needed to make the sport as lucrative as it was elsewhere.
"With big television companies like (South Africa's) Supersport, our
own companies must appreciate the value of Africa's great potential and
invest in the sport," he said.
(Editing by Clare Fallon)
Courtesy
September 15, 2009 | By Reuters
NAIROBI (Reuters) - Kenyans and Ethiopians dominated the distance
races at the last World Athletics Final at the weekend but Africans fear
they are in danger of becoming irrelevant in the sport despite the depth
of their talent.
- Changes to the athletics
calendar, which the ruling
body say will make the sport
more attractive, have not
been well received on the
world's poorest continent.
Under the new plan, the
World Cross Country
Championships are being
turned from an annual event
into a biennial one. Television
sponsors had lost interest in
the event because it was
always won by Kenyan or
Ethiopian runners,
International Association of
Athletics Federations (IAAF)
President Lamine Diack said.
- "The World Cross Country
championships have become
not only an African affair but
an East African affair, and
these days you don't even get
last month.
The senior men's team races at the championships have been won by
Ethiopia or Kenya every year since 1981. On the women's side, only
Portugal, in 1994, have interrupted an African run of victories going
back 18 years.
Former champion Paul Tergat said the decision was unfair.
"This is contrary to the universal appeal of sport as a unifying factor, as
a forum for athletes from all over the whole world to showcase their
talent, regardless of race, religion or status," Tergat, who won the
men's senior title between 1985 and 1989, told Reuters.
"Giving such a reason for making such an unpopular decision is not fair
to African athletes whose only fault is to work hard to win those titles.
That is killing the spirit of sport."
The World Athletics Finals -- held last weekend over two days in the
Greek city of Thessaloniki -- are being replaced under a new format
that has created a Diamond League to be held in Asia, Europe and the
United States. Africa will not host any events.
GLOBAL APPEAL
Next year, the series finals will be split over two weekends with half the
events being contested in Zurich and half in Brussels.
Thessaloniki was a triumph for African runners who won every
distance event. Of the 12 qualifiers in the men's 5,000-metres final, nine
were Kenyans and three, including winner Imane Merga, were from
Ethiopia.
The World Cup, a competition between continents, has been redesigned
to merge Asia with Oceania as one team and North, Central and South
America as another team. Africa and Europe are the only continents
which will compete independently.
Pierre Weiss, general secretary of IAAF, said the changes would
enhance the global appeal of athletics.
"This new (Diamond) League replaces the Golden League by meeting a
strategic goal of the IAAF, notably enhancing the worldwide appeal of
athletics, by going outside Europe."
League events will be held, from May to August, in Doha, Shanghai,
Oslo, Rome, New York, Eugene, Lausanne, Gateshead, Paris, Monaco,
Stockholm and London.
"With the new (World Cup) structure we hope to achieve a more
competitive format. Merging Asia with Oceania is also to strengthen the
participation of both continents," said Weiss.
Kenyan IAAF Council member Isaiah Kiplagat said Africa needed to
take a hard look at the future of its athletes and draw up a strategic plan
to deal with the changes in the sport.
"Television sponsorship is becoming more Euro-centric, hence the
change of World Cross Country Championships from an annual to
biennial event," said Kiplagat. "Events that are popular in Africa like
steeplechase don't feature in the money circuit programme as often as
the sprints and field events.
SPECTACULAR SPORT
"We used to have IAAF Cross Challenge series where cross country
runners accrued points towards winning grand prizes. Now the World
Cross Country has become biennial. It could go altogether because
many delegates think it was a mockery of competition and its winners
would easily be predicted."
He said it was not the fault of Africans that they dominated cross-
country, just proof of their talent.
Tergat called for more appreciation of cross-country running.
"This is the sport where one tackles hills, mud, obstacles and virtually
everything. We thought it could be included in the Olympic Games
programme soon," the 40-year-old Kenyan said.
"Cross-country is one of the most spectacular sports. Track and road
runners launch their careers there. The reasons given are not in the best
interest of sports."
Dube Jillo, technical director of the Ethiopian Athletics Federation,
agreed and said he felt "the utter disappointment of not just Ethiopia but
the entire eastern African region."
"We're not happy at all. This will affect our athletes seriously. We are
very disappointed by the IAAF because World Cross Country
Championships is one of the most important events for our runners,"
Jillo said by telephone from Addis Ababa.
Kiplagat said that for Africa to remain relevant in athletics, its people
needed to make the sport as lucrative as it was elsewhere.
"With big television companies like (South Africa's) Supersport, our
own companies must appreciate the value of Africa's great potential and
invest in the sport," he said.
(Editing by Clare Fallon)
Courtesy
| All rights reserved. |
| Ethio Quest News Together We Can Make It! |
 | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  |
| Ethio Quest News: For latest Ethiopian News, views, Reviews and More |
| Useful Links Ethiopian Athletics Federation Ethiopian Olympic Committee Ethiopian Sport Federation in North America |
| Ethiopia Celebrates Running With Great Race Nov. 23, 2008 ( VOA ) "....VOA's Peter Heinlen reports the event is also a celebration of Ethiopia's emergence as a world power in the field of running." More |
| African Championships Great show by Ethiopian hosts Kenenisa wins 5,000 at African meet S. Africa, Nigeria and Ethiopia Dominate African Athletic Meet Ethiopian women sweep 10K race at African.... |
| Melkamu delivers mother of all shocks to defeat Defar Africa's top athletes inducted in hall of fame 1,200 Athletes Battle In Addis Ababa Ethiopian men sweep 10,000-meter race at African Championships |
| 12th IAAF World Indoor Championships - Ethiopian runners dominated the African medal haul - Men's 3,000m gold goes to Tariku at indoor worlds - Meseret Makes it Three in a row - Ethiopian Reinstated In Men's 1500M, Earns Gold For Tufa, 10,000m was not love at first sight |
| Great Ethiopian Run 2004 |
