Bob Hasan hopes to host Asian GP

Bob Hasan hopes to host Asian GP

JAKARTA (JP): The second Bob Hasan Invitational Meet due on May 4 is to serve as a trailblazer for an Asian Track and Field Grand Prix event, a vivid dream at the Asian Amateur Athletics Association meeting in September last year.

Mohammad (Bob) Hasan, who launched the one-day event in 1994, said yesterday that Indonesia stands a very good chance to win its bid if it succeeds in inviting at least four world-class athletes, an Asian champion and a Southeast Asian Games winner.

"I'm very hopeful that the track and field meet can be used as proof that the time has come for Asia to stage a grand prix," Hasan said.

As for Indonesian athletes, the organizers will pick the best two for the meet.

Apart from the presence of big names, the enthusiasm of both the crowd and the media will give credit to the inception of a grand prix tournament in Asia.

To attract world-class athletes, Hasan should be able to offer eye-popping sums of money. But thus far, the owner of six holding companies with total assets of more than Rp 8 trillion has made no announcement about prize money.

American sprinter Dennis Mitchell and world men's discus champion Lars Riddle of Germany are expected to be among the four world champions coming to the meet.

"Negotiations to bring the two world class athletes here are still underway," Hasan said.

Mitchell, bronze medalist in the men's 100m in the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona, clocked his personal best of 9.91 seconds in 1994. Riddle, who triumphed in the last three world championships, has a best of 69.05 meters.

Hasan, the chairman of both the Indonesian Athletics Association and the Asian Amateur Athletics Association, said that athletes from 11 Asian countries, including China and former Soviet Union republics, have confirmed their participation.

If the charm of the inaugural meet in 1994 was the 10- kilometers run, this time it will focus on events of shorter distance. "By so doing we hope we can produce better short distance athletes," Hasan said.

Six events for each sex will be featured in May. For male athletes, the six are the 100m, 400m, 110m hurdles, 1500m, javelin and pole vault. For female athletes the events are the 100m, 400m, 100m hurdles, 1500m, shot put and javelin. (arf)