IAAF chief Sebastian Coe to visit India in July for Asian Athletics Championships

Distance running legend and International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) chief Sebastian Coe will visit India during the 22nd Asian Athletics Championships to be held in Bhubaneswar from 6-9 July.

Coe has accepted an invitation extended by Athletics Federation of India President Adille Sumariwalla to visit the country.

Sumariwalla, who was in London to attend the 209th IAAF Council Meeting held on 12-13 April, said that Coe has accepted his invitation and it will be an honour for the AFI to host the double Olympic gold medallist Briton for the second time.

Coe, who won a gold each in 1500m at 1980 Moscow Olympics and 1984 Los Angeles Games, earlier visited India in October 2015.

“I spoke to IAAF President on the sidelines of IAAF Council Meeting and informed him that Asian Athletics Championships 2017 will be held in Bhubaneshwar in July. I requested him to be our guest and attend the Championships,” Sumariwalla said.

“Asia’s top athletes will compete in the Championships and his presence will certainly motivate them to give their best on the field. He is the double Olympic champion himself and athletes look up to him as a role model,” he said in an AFI release.

A member of prestigious IAAF Council, Sumariwalla, also presented a paper on ‘Age Manipulation’ at the Council Meeting. Sumariwalla is chairman of the IAAF Age Manipulation Committee.