I unveil my plans for athletics at the CAA Congress – Sumariwalla

...We will improve on what we have done so far 

…Vows to preserve Coe’s governance legacy, drive innovation and unlock new commercial opportunities

By Oluwatobiloba Zeal-Adepetu Kumoye 

 

 

World Athletics Vice President Adille Sumariwalla has pledged to build on the achievements of outgoing President Sebastian Coe while introducing fresh ideas, greater innovation and new commercial opportunities if elected president of the global athletics governing body in 2027.

Sumariwalla, who is seeking to succeed Coe at next year’s presidential election, said his administration would preserve what he described as some of the major gains of the Coe era, particularly in governance, transparency and ethical standards, while pursuing new strategies to keep athletics relevant in a rapidly changing sporting landscape.

Reflecting on the crisis that engulfed the sport in 2015, Sumariwalla said his long involvement in World Athletics governance had given him first-hand experience of the difficult process of restoring the organisation’s credibility.

“I was, again, the only person there. The other competitors were not there. The other candidates were not there in 2015, when we went through the worst times, when our integrity was questioned,” he said.

“We had police in the headquarters. We were council members, and I have seen the worst times ever. And we, as a council in those days, supported Sebastian Coe, and we came out of it,” he added.

According to Sumariwalla, the governance reforms that followed that turbulent period remain one of Coe’s most significant legacies.

“We brought in governance. We dissolved a lot of governance issues. There were governance issues; we brought in governance. We did a lot of work to get more transparency, more ethical behaviour of the council members, etc. And I think that is one of the biggest legacies,” he said.

“Today we are number one in governance. Before, we were nowhere near it. In 2015, we were hammered. So I think one of the biggest things of Seb Coe is governance and putting the house in order.”

However, Sumariwalla stressed that building on Coe’s legacy would not mean simply maintaining the status quo.

“We have to build upon the legacy of Seb Coe. It’s a great legacy, and we have to build on that legacy. But we have to do many more new things because, you know, the only thing constant is change,” he said.

“We have to move. We have to innovate. We have to re-innovate ourselves if we have to keep up with the world now.”

He noted that the sporting landscape had changed significantly since 2015, particularly with the rapid advancement of technology and the emergence of artificial intelligence.

“The world has changed between 2015 and now. Now there is AI. Now there are so many things else that are happening,” Sumariwalla said.

He linked the need for innovation to World Athletics’ existing strategic direction, saying the organisation must continue to advance its objectives around participation, partnerships and fan engagement, while making innovation a central part of its future plans.

“I’m still part of the strategic plan of more people, more partnerships, more fans, more participation, and we added the fifth pillar of innovation.

“Now that strategic plan is up to 2030. That strategic plan has to be taken forward. It has to be implemented. We just started implementing the strategic plan,” he stressed.

Sumariwalla also identified support for federations with limited financial resources as another key priority, particularly in developing countries.

“There is lots of work to be done, lots of work to be done in smaller countries with poorer financial backing. How do we improve the lives of those people?” he asked.

He said equal opportunity for all member federations had remained central to his philosophy since the reforms of 2015.

“My manifesto from day one has said equal opportunity to all, to the smallest federation, which was there from 2015. That has not changed.

“It’s all about how to give equal opportunity to all, from the number one federation to the 214th federation. How do we bring all of them together? How do we help them to come up?” he added.

Sumariwalla, a founding member and treasurer of the Indian Olympic Association, also identified commercial growth as an area where athletics has significant room for expansion.

He argued that stronger commercial revenues would depend largely on the sport’s ability to develop compelling products, attract larger audiences and provide greater visibility for sponsors and partners.

He cited the World Athletics Ultimate Championship, one of the governing body’s newer events, as an example of how innovative competitions could help strengthen the sport’s commercial appeal.

“So what we have created, for example, Ultimate. Now Ultimate has got very, very good reviews,” he said.

“So what do we do? What we do is create more events? Then you get more fans, more eyeballs. If you get more people visiting, if you get more people on social media, that is what advertisers are looking for.”

According to Sumariwalla, increased audience engagement would ultimately make athletics more attractive to sponsors and commercial partners.

“So then they will come in. So we have to up our own game. You understand? Unless we up our own game, World Athletics starts doing things differently, and up our own game, make our competition more interesting.

“We will definitely be able to then get more money. That will attract everybody. Everybody wants more eyeballs. Everybody wants to be associated with the number one brand,” he said.

He added that a stronger commercial proposition could create multiple revenue streams for World Athletics.

“Money will come from different places. Money will come from sponsors. Money will come from partners. People will want to partner with you. So we have to up our own game, and that’s one of the things that I would be doing.”

Sumariwalla said he would provide greater details of his manifesto when he visits Africa for the World Athletics Congress.

He nevertheless offered a broad indication of what stakeholders could expect from his proposed administration.

“But, one, we will improve upon whatever we have done so far, and we will have new things in the pipeline, definitely,” Sumariwalla concluded.