World Athletic Congress commenced yesterday 16th August prior to World Athletic Championship in Budapest, Hangary. The 3-day congress saw leading officials of IAAF, participating country representatives of respective Athetic Associations will take part in the Congress.

Three top officials of Sri Lanka Athletics President Rt Major General Palitha Fernando, Senior Vice President G.L.S Perera and Treasure Shantha de Silva were among the delegates of this congress.

Sri Lanka Athetics Vice President G.L.S Perera said this is a good opportunity for officials and they are discussing about future plans as well as athletic events to be held in future. IAAF is the world athletic governing body and officials from other countries also will discuss sports related matters, added SLA Vice President G.L.S Perera .

Meanwhile Sri Lanka athletic team is scheduled to leave Hangary today17th August. The World Athletic Championship will commence on August 19.

On 17 July 1912 in Stockholm, Sweden, following the closing ceremony of the Olympic Games in the Swedish capital, the International Amateur Athletic Federation (IAAF) was founded as the world governing body for the sport of track and field athletics. Congress is the highest authority of World Athletics and the sport of athletics worldwide. Council, the Executive Board and other bodies within World Athletics are accountable to Congress and must report annually to it. The Congress of World Athletics consists of the 214 Member Federations represented by up to three delegates each.

The Congress meets every two years at the time of the World Athletics Championships. Elections take place in every even numbered Congress, one vote being given to each Member Federation. The Congress elects the President, Vice-Presidents and the Individual Council Members.

The Congress also has the power to admit, suspend, expel and reinstate Member Federations from membership of World Athletics; to amend the Constitution; to approve the World Plan for athletics; and to approve, on the recommendation of Council, the members of the Vetting Panel, Disciplinary Tribunal and Integrity Unit Board.World Athletics was founded to fulfil the need for a world governing authority, for a competition programme, for standardised technical equipment and for a list of official world records.