AK grapples with headache of preparing revised 2020 calendar

Athletics Kenya (AK) will be forced to come up with a new calendar of events for the second phase of the year after World Athletics came up with new guidelines on Friday.

World Athletics called on its affiliates to host their national championships on the weekend of August 8-9, following the disruption of the international competition calendar by the coronavirus pandemic.

AK president Jackson Tuwei said it will be possible to host the National Championships on the proposed dates but that preparations will start much earlier.
The National Championships were due for May 8-10 at the Nyayo National Stadium but have since been postponed due to the Covid-19.

AK Track and Field Meetings were to start the countdown to the nationals in March before the counties, regional and institutional events.

“Preparations for the national will start earlier meaning that our athletes will hit the road early too, like two months before the nationals. It’s a very tight situation,” said Tuwei.

Tuwei said the proposals by World Athletics were for planning especially for countries that experience winter and summer.

“We are lucky and blessed this part of the world since any time of the year is favourable for us. We shall also be good to go that period if the pandemic will have been handled. Nobody knows what will happen next,” said Tuwei.

A statement from World Athletics disclosed that the newly established Global Calendar Unit has engaged Member Federations, Area Associations, meeting directors and the World Athletics Athletes’ Commission in order to identify this window.

The statement explained that the window will open when no Diamond League or World Athletics Continental Tour meetings are scheduled to be held this year.

The purpose of creating a protected window, the statement said, is to allow athletes to be able to compete in their national championships without scheduling conflicts.

“Member Federations are encouraged to take advantage of this opportunity if it is safe for athletes to compete in August. This applies primarily to the Northern Hemisphere, which is in its outdoor season,” the statement read.

The Athletes’ Commission has averred elite athletes have a strong desire to compete this year if possible, and World Athletics will do everything it can to conduct an international competition season later this year to assist athletes to prepare for the Tokyo Olympic Games next year.

World Athletics president Sebastian Coe said no one can predict the future in these unprecedented times.

“We are trying to give a structure to our athletes and Member Federations so they can begin to plan for the year ahead,” said Coe.

Coe explained that, if possible, they will schedule a belated outdoor season from August to October to help athletes to figure out where they stand after the disruption this year.

“We are hopeful that this can begin with national championships in many Northern Hemisphere countries in early August as travel restrictions across country borders will not impact these events,” said Coe.

He added that it will be followed by what they hope will be a solid international season. “But of course we are dependent on the global response to the pandemic.”

Coe said the Global Calendar Unit will continue to work with the Diamond League and Continental Tour to reschedule the rest of the 2020 season and an announcement on a programme is expected towards the end of April.

Because of the uncertainty surrounding the ability of all countries to resume competition at the same time or for athletes to have equal access to major competitions this year, the statement said the suspension of the Olympic qualification process will remain in place from April 6 to November 30, as announced earlier this week.

This means that any results posted during this period will not be eligible for Olympic qualification or world ranking points.