November 9 - Delhi will host a top-class athletics meeting, starring leading names like China's Liu Xiang (pictured), next August as a test event for the 2010 Commonwealth Games, Suresh Kalmadi promised after being re-elected as the President of the Asian Athletics Association (AAA).

 

Kalmadi, the chairman of the New Delhi organising committee, was elected unopposed to the role until 2013 at the 18th AAA General Meeting in Guangzhou and promised to use his new mandate to help develop the sport in India.

 

He said: "My re-election will definitely help promotion of athletics in India.

 

"Pune has been allotted a Grand Prix in June and we would have an Asian All-Star meet in Delhi on August 29-30, which will be a test event for the 2010 Commonwealth Games.

 

"Besides, Chennai or Bangalore will host the Junior Asian Athletics Championship in 2012."

 

During the Commonwealth Games athletics is due to be staged at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, built in 1982 for the Asian Games and which is being extensively renovated, including lifting the capacity up to 75,000, for next year.

 

Kalmadi was first elected in 2000 in Jakarta and since then he has introduced many development projects in Asian athletics, including the Asian All Star meet, Asian Indoor Championship and Asian Grand Prix series,

 

Kalmadi met Lamine Diack, the President of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), to discuss the development of the sport in Asia.

 

He said: "It was a good meeting and we all are excited to support athletics."

 

Maurice Nicholas of Singapore was also re-elected as the secretary and treasurer of the AAA.