Bob Hasan retains his grip on AAAA<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Indonesian timber tycoon Mohammad \"Bob\" Hasan
\nfound no aspirants to the crown yesterday and retained his
\npresidency of the Asia Amateur Athletic Association congress,
\nvowing to raise sporting standards in the continent.<\/p>\n
Hasan received the full support of 39 country-member
\ndelegations, including the lone contender Eisha Al-Dashti of
\nKuwait, who withdrew from the election.<\/p>\n
Al-Dashti, a council member of the world athletic body IAAF
\nand Hasan's Senior Vice President, opted to withdraw his bid just
\nbefore the election started, paving the incumbent president's
\npath to a second four-year term.<\/p>\n
\"I want to keep the unity and avoid a split in our
\norganization. We are not running a political organization,\" Al-
\nDashti said.<\/p>\n
\"Bob Hasan and I are friends. I'm not going to have a fight
\nwith fellow Asians,\" he added.<\/p>\n
Hasan agreed with his Kuwaiti colleague, saying that unity is
\nthe most important thing to help Asian athletics progress.<\/p>\n
The congress also voted to give Al-Dashti's top job in AAAA to
\nPrince Khalid bin Thani Al-Thani of Qatar. But the Kuwaiti sheik
\nremains on the AAAA's new leadership board as the ex-officio
\nexecutive due to his membership in IAAF.<\/p>\n
The congress also decided to expand AAAA's council members
\nfrom six to eight to accommodate the former Soviet Union
\ncountries.<\/p>\n
Hasan said after the election that AAAA was thinking about
\ngiving incentives to athletes in the coming years. \"This is our
\nprogram and it has to be completed during my new tenure,\" Hasan
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
He said that such a policy would prevent big names from
\nskipping any events sanctioned by AAAA. \"We've learned a lot from
\nwhat happened in the All African Games, where many star-studded
\nathletes opted to race for prize money in Europe instead of
\nrepresenting their respective countries in the continental
\nevent,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Hasan made it clear that AAAA will not start giving incentives
\nbefore settling marketing and sponsorship matters. \"No company is
\nwilling to provide money for under-par athletes,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He guaranteed that incentives are not against the principle
\nbehind amateur athletics if they are given through athletic
\nfederations. \"Let the federations manage the money for the
\nathletes,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Along with the incentive policy, AAAA plans to follow in the
\nfootsteps of its American and European counterparts in organizing
\nGrand Prix meetings. (amd)<\/p>",
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