Kohima, July 7 (MExN): The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) has appointed Abu Metha, Associate Vice President, AFI as the Chairman of its National Mountain Running Committee. “This is the first time that a sports administrator from Nagaland will be heading a national committee,” Nagaland Athletics Association stated in a press note.
Mountain running is a worldwide sport and a discipline of athletics. The World Mountain Running Association (WMRA) was born in 1984 as the International Committee of Mountain Running (ICMR). In 1985, it first staged ‘the World Trophy’, attracting entries from more than 30 countries. In 2002, the IAAF Congress officially recognised it as an International Competition as defined by IAAF Rule 1 and in 2009 the name was changed to the Mountain Running World Championships, with nowadays more than 40 nations taking part.
Four Mountain Running Continental Championships (Africa, Europe, North America, South America) are held every year, plus Commonwealth Championships and Balkan Championships. WMRA annually stages a Long-Distance Challenge, a Youth International Cup and a Grand Prix, while a World Masters Mountain Running Championships is organised together with the WMA.
“This is the first time that the Athletics Federation of India has instituted the national committee on mountain running and it is a matter of pride that a leader from Nagaland is heading the committee,” the release added. Abu Metha, a former national level sportsperson, was instrumental in the successful hosting of the South Asian Cross-Country Championships in Nagaland as the Co-Convenor of the Organising Committee. He was also the Team Leader of the Indian Contingent to the U20 World Athletics Championships at Nairobi, Kenya where India returned with its best ever haul of three medals.
