AFI officials arrive in Kohima for three-day AGM

A large delegation of athletics officials arrived in Kohima on Monday as the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Athletics Federation of India commenced at Hotel Vivor, marking the first time a national sports federation has hosted its AGM in Nagaland.
Addressing a press conference, Lalit K. Bhanot, president of the South Asian Athletics Federation, welcomed the gathering on behalf of the federation and acknowledged the efforts of Abu Metha, vice president of AFI, in facilitating the event. He informed that the meeting was attended by AFI president Bahadur Singh Sagoo and Adille J. Sumariwalla, vice president of World Athletics, among other senior officials.
Bhanot stated that AFI had adopted a policy of holding meetings in different parts of the country to encourage local associations and promote athletics at the grassroots level. He noted that Nagaland had earlier hosted the South Asian Cross Country Championship, the first international athletics event in the state, which he described as a success appreciated by participating countries.
Highlighting AFI’s grassroots initiatives, Bhanot said the National Inter-District Athletics Meet was the largest programme of its kind in the world, covering over 650 districts across India. He observed that Nagaland was actively strengthening its district associations to identify talent and generate interest in athletics.
He further informed that a key agenda of the AGM would be the introduction of the SRY gene test for female athletes, in line with mandates from World Athletics, to ensure fair competition. He stated that AFI would bear the cost of the DNA-based tests, which would be gradually made compulsory. The meeting would also review state association reports, assess their performance, and identify areas requiring improvement.
Bhanot pointed out that while some states were progressing in athletics, others had witnessed a decline, necessitating analysis. He added that AFI would deliberate on the impact of decentralising training, explaining that the earlier system of centralised national coaching camps had been replaced due to improved infrastructure, including the availability of synthetic tracks across the country.
He said the federation was now focusing on developing district-level coaches and technical officials to strengthen the ecosystem and ensure that no talent went unnoticed.
Speaking on AFI’s broader strategy, Sumariwalla stated that the federation was pursuing a dual approach focusing on elite performance and grassroots development. He noted significant improvements in international results, with India’s medal tally rising across the Asian Games, Commonwealth Games, Olympics and World Championships.
He reiterated that the inter-district programme formed the backbone of talent identification, with participation from over 620 districts and around 6,500 athletes in the under-14 and under-16 categories. He informed that AFI bore expenses related to travel, accommodation and logistics to ensure inclusivity.
Sumariwalla emphasised that India’s vast population required a decentralised approach, with active engagement at the district level. He said AFI regularly interacted with district units through visits and virtual meetings, while also mandating basic administrative requirements such as registration, audited accounts and regular competitions.
He further stated that AFI currently conducted 42 competitions annually and had significantly expanded its coaching and technical workforce, with around 3,000 level-one coaches and 300 level-two coaches trained in recent years. Stressing the need for patience, he said sustained results required multiple Olympic cycles and long-term investment in athlete development.
Earlier, welcoming the delegates, Metha described the AGM as historic for Nagaland and expressed gratitude to AFI for placing its trust in the state. He informed that the event had drawn top administrators, coaches, sponsors, sports scientists, and former athletes, including Arjuna awardees and international medallists.
Metha highlighted that AFI had been recognised as the best athletics federation in Asia and ranked among the top globally. He said the AGM would focus on strategy formulation for upcoming international events, including the Commonwealth Games, Asian Games, World Championships and Olympics, while also emphasising development in the Northeast region.
He added that the initiative aimed to promote inclusivity, national integration and youth participation through sports. As part of the programme, delegates would visit the World War II Cemetery in Kohima and participate in official engagements hosted by the Governor and Chief Minister. The Chief Minister was also scheduled to inaugurate the AGM.