HRH Prince Feisal Al Hussein, President of the Jordan Olympic Committee, spoke to media representatives from across the world at today’s press conference as he officially welcomed them to Amman for the 37th IAAF World Cross Country Championships this Saturday (28th March), and promised that Jordan would host future sporting World Championships.
“We welcome you all to Jordan for what promises to be a truly memorable event,” he said. “We thank the IAAF for entrusting us in hosting this global event and we will not let you down.”
“Our objective is for all our guests to have wonderful memories to take back from Jordan and from their visit to the Arab world.”
HRH Prince Feisal Al Hussein was joined at the top table by IAAF and Organising Committee representatives including IAAF President Lamine Diack, who said he was pleased to be in Jordan: “One of my dreams as President of the IAAF is to universalise athletics all over the world – that’s why I’m so happy that this edition of the World Cross Country Championships is being held in the Middle East. The Kingdom of Jordan is rich in history and tourists come from all over the world to take in the sites.
“We have a greater number of athletes competing than in 2008 and without many of last year’s champions it will be a very open competition. The course offers a true test of cross country running and I hope many people will travel to watch.”
The IAAF World Cross Country Championships is one of several World Championship events to have been held in Jordan in recent years, and Prince Feisal assured those in the audience that it wouldn’t be the last.
“Jordan has been lucky with a number of major world events, including triathlon and fencing, in the last five years,” he said. “We want to host other World Championships as well as Asian Championships. Placing Jordan on the world map for sport is a very important part of our long term strategy.”
“I believe the Asian Games and Olympics are beyond our capabilities for now,” he continued, “but we would like to include them as part of our longer term plans and I hope we will be considered as hosts by the IAAF in the future to deliver such events.”
Earlier in the day athletes had visited the course at the Bisharat Golf Course for the first time. “I love it,” said world junior 1500m champion Stephanie Twell. “I’m going out to finish as highly as possible and I hope that competing against the best in the world will push me on.”
Kenyan team captain Mark Kiptoo, who made his World Cross debut in Edinburgh last year, said he was not concerned what the weather might hold for tomorrow’s race: “For me, I’ve prepared for all conditions,” he said. “I’ve had the chance to run in Europe in bad conditions and in Kenya in good conditions so I’m prepared for anything.”
“My ambition is to be on the podium tomorrow and I hope I can be.”
Kenya will be aiming to match Ethiopia’s clean sweep of individual titles in 2008 – a feat that has eluded them since 1994.
The 37th IAAF World Cross Country Championships get underway on Saturday with the Opening Ceremony at 1.30pm, followed by the junior women’s race – the first race of four - at 2.30pm.
Free transport is being offered to spectators travelling to the Bisharat Golf Course from the capital, and entry to the event is free.
For more information check out the event web site: www.amman2009.com.