Georgia hosts international athletics seminar

Georgia is hosting a group of global sporting officials at an athletics seminar that is being held for the first time in the Caucasus region.

An international seminar of World Athletics Leaders, titled ‘Development Strategy’ is being held today in Tbilisi. The seminar opened this morning by the President of the Georgian Athletics Federation Alex Akhvlediani and head of the Eastern European Regional Development Centre of IAAF Vadim Zelichenok.

In his welcoming speech, Akhvlediani stressed the importance of this event for the development of athletics in Georgia.

"It is very important for our country that the World Athletics Leaders seminar will start in Tbilisi today. The seminar aims to introduce federations of different countries to the new plans and strategies developed by the World Federation Congress and Board,” he said.

Akhlediani said the seminar would be important in terms of gaining international experience as well.

When Zelichenok spoke, he commended Georgia’s progress in light athletics.

"We had the idea to hold a seminar for the head of National Federations of post-Soviet countries in Tbilisi, in order to not only work on the program of the International Federation, but to also show our colleagues how successful light athletics being developed in Georgia. Today, light athletics in Georgia is the model of modern light athletics,” he said.

Athletics federation presidents, vice president and other officials from 16 European countries participated in the seminar alongside Georgia. The event was being led by the IAAF Director Abdel Malek El Hebil.

The event attracted some international sporting names, including Ukrainian pole vaulter and numerous record-holder Sergey Bubka.

The decision for Georgia to host the event was made by the International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF). The event was organised by the Eastern Europe Regional Development Centre together with the Georgian Athletics Federation.