India's Kalmadi elected new president of AAAA<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Suresh Kalmadi of India was elected the new
\npresident of the Asian Amateur Athletics Association (AAAA) on
\nFriday, replacing Mohammad \"Bob\" Hasan of Indonesia.<\/p>\n
In a vote at the association's congress being held at the
\nJakarta Convention Center in Central Jakarta, 19 executive
\nmembers of AAAA voted for Kalmadi, while 14 cast their ballots
\nfor the incumbent Hasan, who had led the organization since 1990.
\nEight votes were declared invalid.<\/p>\n
It became a two-person race for the association's presidency
\nafter three other candidates -- Khalid bin Thani Al Thani of
\nQatar, Eisa Al-Dashti of Kuwait and Muhammad Imtiaz Ali of
\nPakistan -- withdrew.<\/p>\n
Hasan could not attend the congress because he has been placed
\nunder house arrest by the Attorney General's Office. The one-time
\ngolfing partner of former Indonesian president Soeharto was
\narrested in March after being named a suspect in a US$87 million
\ncorruption case.<\/p>\n
A third four-year term would have allowed timber tycoon Hasan
\nto equal the length of time Seiko Yasuda of Japan served as
\npresident of the association.<\/p>\n
Kalmadi, who has chaired the Amateur Athletics Federation of
\nIndia since 1988, said during a media conference after the
\ncongress he planned to develop track and field in Asia, similar
\nto the Grand Prix series in Europe.<\/p>\n
\"We already have 25 competitions a year in India. I hope Asian
\ncountries can stage a similar number of competitions to help
\ndevelop the sport.<\/p>\n
\"I also aim to raise more funds to finance track and field
\ndevelopment on the continent,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Kalmadi expressed hope for the performance of Asian athletes
\nat the upcoming Olympic Games in Sydney starting on Sept. 15.<\/p>\n
The secretary-general of the Indonesian Amateur Athletics
\nAssociation, Tigor Tanjung, said Hasan would accept any decisions
\nmade by the congress.<\/p>\n
\"Pak Hasan understand his prohibition from the organization.
\nHe let the congress members decide his fate. He accepted it,\"
\nTigor said, adding that Hasan's absence also influenced his
\nchances of being reelected.<\/p>\n
Al Thani maintains his position as senior vice president of
\nthe association, while Maurice Nicholas of Singapore was
\nreappointed secretary-general.<\/p>\n
Shang Xiutang of China, Hideyuki Sasaki of Japan, Ng Ching
\nKwok of the Philippines, Mowafak Joumaa of Syria and Lertrat
\nRatanavanich of Thailand were named vice presidents of AAAA.<\/p>\n
The congress also named Sri Lanka as the 2001 host of the
\nAsian Track and Field Championships, Hong Kong as the 2001 host
\nof the marathon championships and Nepal as the 2001 host of the
\ncross-country championships. (yan)<\/p>",
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