KATHMANDU: Nepal will host the 11th Asian Cross Country Championships in 2011 in Kathmandu, the Asian Athletics Association (AAA) decided in China today.

The two-day 68th council meeting of the AAA that concluded in Guangzhou today, provided Nepal with the hosting rights of the championships. Nepal will be hosting the event for the second time. Earlier, Nepal had hosted the seventh edition of the championship in 2001.

“The AAA were supposed to conduct election on the decision of the hosts on Tuesday, but they directly endorsed Nepal with the hosting rights today,” the Nepal Amateur Athletics Association (NAAA) General Secretary Rabi Raj Rajkarnikar told The Himalayan Times, from China.

“When we sent the Letter of Intent — which in itself is a bid — for the tournament on November 1, the AAA were keen to give the hosting rights to Nepal. I think that is the reason why they didn’t conduct elections to decide the hosts,” said Rajkarnikar, who also attended the meeting. The NAAA have selected Gokarna Forest Resort as the venue for the event. The championships includes four events — men’s 12km and 8km races and women’s 8km and 4km races.

Meanwhile, NAAA General Secretary Rajkarnikar

has been elected as a member in the executive committee of the athletics’ governing body in Asia for the next three-year term.

Rajkarnikar earned 34 out of 38 votes in the elections of the office bearers conducted during the 18th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the AAA today. The AAA conducted elections for eight members. “I was not expecting to win a place in the executive committee but

as it came, I am privileged to get a big amount of support in the regional level. My appointment in the AAA will be helpful in the development of Nepali athletics,” added Rajkarnikar.

The AGM re-elected Suresh Kalmadi as the President of the AAA unanimously. Also the President of the India Olympic Committee (IOC), Kalmadi was elected in the post for the third consecutive term.

Nepali athletes will compete in four events on the inaugural day of the 18th Asian Athletics Championships in Guangzhou on Tuesday. Hari Kumar Rimal will compete in the men’s 1500m while Keshari Chaudhary will run in women’s 100m. Tilak Ram Mahato and Pramila Rijal will run in 400m races.