Coe re-elected for new term as IAAF chief

Britain’s Sebastian Coe was re-elected unopposed Wednesday as president of the IAAF for a second term.

Coe, 62, the former Olympic and world champion middle-distance runner, was named head of the governing body of world athletics in 2015 and receives his second mandate just two days before the World Athletics Championships opens in Doha on Friday.

Coe, who took over the reins during a period of turmoil in world athletics, was re-elected by unanimous vote of the 203 delegates attending the International Association of Athletics Federations’ Congress in Doha.

Four years ago the IAAF was in chaos as a result of far reaching corruption allegations including damaging charges of links between outgoing president Lamine Diack, his influential son Papa Massata Diack, and a Russian cover-up of a state-sponsored doping conspiracy.

During his first term, Coe set up the independent Athletics Integrity Unit which serves as anti-doping watchdog dedicated to cleaning up corruption in the sport.

Coe is notably credited with tackling the issue of state-sponsored Russian doping, with the IAAF maintaining a tough stance and banning Russia from competing since November 2015.

Sri Lanka was represented by AASL general secretary Prema Pinnawela and Vice President GLS Perera at the Congress