New Delhi: World Athletics president Sebastian Coe has said that track and field is well on course to becoming one of the top four global sports in the next few years on the back of a slew of ‘innovations’ effected this year and improved financial security.
Taking stock of the year, which saw the successful hosting of the World Championships in Doha and the re-branding of the IAAF (International Association of Athletics Federations) as World Athletics, the former middle-distance runner promised to ring in more changes in the coming years.
“It has been an excellent year, a year of innovations. We have seen a very successful World Championship in Doha and a better year financially also. I am pleased with the progress of our sport,” Coe, who was re-elected for a second term this year, said from London.
“For the first time, our sport has its own production. We have increased the number of cameras covering the World Championships, covering more angles, bringing athletes closer to fans. There will be more changes (in the next few years). As a sport, we need to be a disruptor and make changes to attract young people around the world,” added the former Olympic gold medallist.
The 63-year-old Briton said the mixed 4x400m relay, which was introduced during the World Relay and made its debut in the World Championships, has ‘captured the imagination of the fans’.
World Athletics also announced introduction of ‘Continental Tour’, which will replace World Challenge events as the second tier of competition under the Diamond League while four events of triple jump, discus, 200 metres and 3,000m steeplechase will have the senior status in the new format.
The double Olympic 1500m gold-medallist said his ambition of athletics becoming a top four global sport in the near future will be realised soon.
“One of the ambitions which I set when I became president was that in the next few years, athletics should become one of the top four sports in the world. At that time, athletics was at about ninth. Now we are at fifth,” said Coe, who took charge as head of the world body in 2015.
“There are three sports, tennis, swimming and triathlon, which are all within one percentage of athletics. I believe we are absolutely moving towards achieving that ambition,” he added.
Asked about the yardstick to determine comparative ranking of various sports, Coe said, “We can measure around sponsorships, around accessibility, media, newspaper, online and broadcast coverage like that. For example, we now have three athletes in the top 50 most recognisable sportspersons in the world. We have one athlete in top 10.”
Coe also termed the re-branding of the organisation as an important milestone. “World Athletics is much more explained (with the new name) and there is clear understanding of what we do.”
PTI