His Excellency the President of Asian Athletics Association Dahlan Jaman Al Hamad stressed the importance of implementing the Athletics for Talented Students Program in schools, describing it as an important step toward identifying athletic talent at an early age and developing their abilities in accordance with scientific and technical principles, which would contribute to preparing a new generation of athletes capable of representing the Asian continent and achieving success in the future.In a special interview with Qatar News Agency (QNA), His Excellency said the program focuses on identifying and nurturing athletics talent in schools, given the importance of the sport and its connection to many fundamental skills that underpin other sports. He noted that implementing the program would broaden the base of athletics participants and help uncover more promising talents.Al Hamad also revealed that the Asian Athletics Association has adopted specialized programs to educate and train school staff and prepare them practically to implement the talent program. He explained that the primary objective is to support talented children, cultivate their passion for athletics, and develop their abilities through technical and scientific support, thereby paving the way for the emergence of new champions in the future.He added that the Asian Athletics Association believes that talent and champions can be discovered in all parts of the continent whenever they are provided with appropriate support and nurturing. Accordingly, the Association is working to train coaches to identify talent, while encouraging children to participate in various athletics events and develop their abilities.The President of the Asian Athletics Association explained that dividing the continent into five regions would enhance opportunities to implement the program in a larger number of countries. He highlighted the role of national federations in promoting the program, as well as the enthusiasm shown by several federations to implement it.In this regard, he pointed to the welcome extended by the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste to the program and its readiness to implement it in the coming period, following the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport, and the Timor-Leste Athletics Federation.Al Hamad affirmed that the Asian continent is rich in human resources and athletic talent, and that discovering and developing more of these talents depends on providing appropriate programs and continuously preparing qualified personnel capable of nurturing them.In a related context, the President of the Asian Athletics Association attributed the outstanding performances of the continent’s male and female athletes at the World Athletics Championships and Diamond League Meetings to the ongoing efforts of national federations to prepare athletes according to scientific principles, with the aim of improving their performance and achieving more successes and medals.He added that the Asian Athletics Association monitors the activities of national federations and tracks results and records achieved at various competitions. He affirmed that the Association will continue supporting federations across the five regions in hosting and participating in championships, raising the technical level of male and female athletes, and further developing athletics across the continent.He noted that the Association has introduced a number of competitions for different age groups and disciplines, including the Asian U23 Championships, which was recently held in China, as well as field-event championships covering disciplines such as throwing and jumping. These competitions achieved success during 2026, alongside a number of other championships included in the Association’s calendar for the upcoming season.