Lord Coe asks Africa to diversify athletic talents

World Athletics President Sebastian Coe briefing media ahead of World Athletics U20 Championships kickoff at the Moi International Sports Complex. Aug 17, 2021. [Jonah Onyango, Standard]

World Athletics President Sebastian Coe has called on African athletics federations to strive and compete in most track and field events.

Coe, a former world 800m record holder, said such a move would spur latent talents across the globe.

“There is need to promote events that are not dominant in certain nations. In most cases, many countries have immense potential in jumps and throws. It is important that federations and countries support all the 47 track and field events.” Coe said in a virtual interview yesterday.

“I had conversations with the Kenyan federation; not during the World Under 20 Athletics Championships, but I spent a week or two later and realised that they are keen on stretching their dominance beyond track events.”

The global athletics boss cited the rise of Julius Yego, the 2015 world javelin champion and 2016 Olympic silver medallist, as a classical example of talents that needed to be stirred.

“Julius Yego made it to the top of the world and others can equally excel like him. The same case with Jamaica in sprints. I also recognise that they are making a breakthrough in jumps. It important that we begin venturing into new events,” he said.

“It is good for federations to explore into many track and field events, but I know it takes a lot of years to realise this dream. Those events that do not feature in the World Athletics Diamond League series have been included in the Continental Tour and we hope most athletes will utilise the opportunities that come with it,” he added.

On the 2022 calendar of events, Coe asked federations to remain focused in order to successfully deliver the upcoming events.

“We need to focus now. We did very well at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic despite numerous challenges. We became the Tokyo Games number one Olympic sport,” he said.

Coe said track and field events at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games attracted millions of audiences and millions of articles were published and shared on the social media.

 “We have improved innovation in our events. We broaden our relationships with governments to take the sport to the next level,” said Coe.

“We have four major athletics competition in five weeks. We have World Athletics Championships; we have global championships every year for the next four years. African athletes performed spectacularly in Tokyo.”

The 2021 athletics season looks too busy with World Athletics Championships, Commonwealth Games, Diamond League series and the World Athletics Continental Tour.