Guwahati: The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) has introduced the ‘Kohima Declaration’ as a roadmap to boost athletics in Nagaland and the region through focused measures, better infrastructure, and by promoting the area as a host for major sporting events.
The announcement came after the federation’s two-day general body meeting in Kohima, where officials agreed on steps to better connect the region with the country’s sports system and open up more opportunities for young talent to compete at top levels.
Speaking to reporters, South Asian Athletics Federation president Lalit K. Bhanot said the meeting included detailed discussions and resulted in several important steps to improve athletics nationwide. He added that the declaration stresses the importance of sports in strengthening national unity and development.
As part of the new measures, AFI has made SRY gene testing compulsory for athletes competing in national events, with expenses to be shared by the federation and the government. The federation will also begin DNA testing on a selected group of around 100 athletes for research purposes and to analyse performance patterns.
To widen participation at the grassroots level, AFI plans to reorganise district units to include more representation from rural areas. This step is aimed at reducing the concentration of influence in district headquarters and encouraging involvement from villages and block-level bodies.
In an effort to increase public participation, the federation will conduct an annual two-kilometre run across nearly 700 districts every year on August 30.
AFI Vice-President and World Athletics President Adille J. Sumariwalla announced action against state units that have failed to perform, stating that existing bodies in Chhattisgarh and Arunachal Pradesh will be dissolved and replaced with temporary committees.
He also said that Tripura and Manipur have been put under observation and reduced to associate membership status without voting rights, warning that further steps could be taken if there is no improvement.
Sumariwalla also said that international experts have been appointed to guide both senior and junior athletes, with the aim of raising India’s competitiveness in global events.