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Dahlan Jaman Al Hamad described the school talent initiative as a vital step that applies scientific and technical standards to spot and refine athletic abilities from a young age. The program aims to expand involvement in athletics, a discipline that develops core skills transferable to numerous other sports, according to the Asian Athletics Association president in his interview with Qatar News Agency. Implementation at the school level will help surface additional promising competitors and prepare them to represent Asia successfully in years to come.
The association has developed targeted training modules for school staff to ensure they can deliver the program with practical effectiveness, Al Hamad told QNA. Its central aim centers on aiding gifted children by building their enthusiasm for athletics while supplying technical and scientific resources that lay groundwork for emerging title contenders. The president added that with proper encouragement, talented youngsters across the continent can rise to competitive prominence.
Dividing the continent into five regions will increase the program’s reach and allow participation from a wider array of countries, the president explained. National federations have displayed notable eagerness in advancing the scheme and integrating it within their education systems. Al Hamad singled out the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, which signed a memorandum of understanding among its ministries of education and youth and sport together with the national athletics federation and now stands ready to launch the program in the near term.
Al Hamad credited the recent notable achievements by Asian men and women at the World Athletics Championships and Diamond League meetings to sustained scientific training approaches maintained by national federations. In the QNA interview, he said these federations have focused on elevating athlete standards to secure greater numbers of medals and records on the international stage. The association follows the progress of its members by reviewing competition outcomes and performance metrics from events held throughout the regions.
Support for federations will persist through assistance in staging and joining championships while working to lift technical capabilities continent-wide, according to the president. The Asian Athletics Association has rolled out multiple new events tailored to different age brackets and specialties to broaden competitive avenues. These include the Asian U23 Championships staged in China and dedicated field event titles in throwing and jumping, all of which posted positive results in 2026 as part of the group’s ongoing calendar.
The Asian Athletics Association announced on August 10, 2026, that the talent development program would be incorporated into school curriculums across the continent. World Athletics tallies from the 2026 Asian U23 Athletics Championships in Ordos, China, showed the host nation claiming 23 gold medals and topping the overall standings ahead of Japan and Uzbekistan. Al Hamad affirmed that the continent possesses abundant human resources and athletic promise, with continued focus on suitable programs and trained specialists required to unlock further potential.
