SHAIKH Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa, first deputy president of Supreme Council for Youth and Sports and president of Bahrain Athletics Association, was yesterday reelected unopposed for a new term as the president of the West Asian Athletics Federation (WAAF) at its Annual General Assembly at Golden Tulip Hotel.
The new term will run until 2020. The Federation comprises of 12 countries but representatives of only 11 countries attended yesterday’s AGM, including Bahrain - Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait, Oman, Palestine, Iraq, Syria, Jordan, Yemen and Lebanon.
Qatar was not represented at yesterday’s AGM.
Shaikh Khalid thanked the members for restoring faith in him to the lead the federation.
Confidence
“The great confidence shown by the members in the new leadership motivates us to maintain the efforts in developing athletics in the region,” said Shaikh Khalid.
“We take this opportunity to congratulate everyone on the success of the elections. We also congratulate the new members.”
General secretary of Bahrain Olympic Committee and Supreme Council for Youth and Sports Abdulrahman Askar opened the AGM with a welcome note extending to the members the greetings of Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Representative of His Majesty for Charity Works and Youth Affairs, chairman of Supreme Council for Youth and Sports and president of Bahrain Olympic Committee and Shaikh Khalid.
Vice-president of WAAF Nasser Al Moameri of the UAE headed the AGM on behalf of Shaikh Khalid.
Later, UAE federation president Ahmed Al Kamali proposed to organise a championship for under-15 athletes in 2018 and 2019 in the UAE in coordination with the International Association of Athletics Federations.
It was followed by the elections for a new Board of Directors under the supervision of general secretary of Bahrain Athletics Association Rashid Al Buaineen.
Nasser Al Moameri of UAE was reelected vice-president unopposed following the withdrawal of his one and only competitor Sayyar Al Anzi of Kuwait.
The mew board consists of Shaje Mohammed of Yemen (11 votes), Waseem Jerchy of Lebanon (11 votes), Rafeeq Hamouda of Jordan (11 votes), Ahmed bin Salem (10 votes) and Zaidoon Jawad of Iraq (9 votes).
Fatima Jabara of Palestine will represent women athletes.