Reuters
13 January 2001 – New Delhi - An Asian indoor championship will start in 2003 and an annual three-meeting grand prix series and Asian all-star meeting are planned, the continent's athletics authorities announced on Saturday.
The Asian Amateur Athletic Association (AAAA) council, which met in New Delhi on Saturday, also decided to hold the Asian track and field championships in odd years from 2003 onwards in a bid to attract top athletes, the AAAA's Indian president Suresh Kalmadi said.
In 1995 the championship cycle was changed to even years and the last two were held in 1998 and last year, but top athletes stayed away as the dates were too close to the Asian Games and Olympics, Kalmadi said.
He added that the next Asian track and field championships will be held in Colombo, Sri Lanka, from August 15-18 next year.
AAAA secretary-general Maurice Nicholas said the planned grand prix events will be particularly helpful to Asia's second rung athletes who are starved of competition.
The schedule for the series will be finalised once a committee formed for the purpose gives its recommendations.
China and Iran will host two indoor competitions each in the next two years as a forerunner to the first Asian championships in 2003.
A panel was also formed to finalise the list of athletes for the first Afro-Asian Games to be held in New Delhi in November.
"Performance in Asian meets and Olympics and current form will be the basis for selection," Nicholas said.