Amman, Jordan - The world’s biggest winter outdoor athletics event will be held in Jordan when the Kingdom hosts the 37th IAAF World Cross Country Championships on 28 March 2009.

The event is the latest in a burgeoning portfolio of world class events that Jordan has hosted and the championship patron, HRH Prince Feisal Al Hussein, expects it to further position the Kingdom as a leading sporting, leisure and business destination.

“We are delighted that the IAAF has selected us to host this prestigious event and, just like previous international federations have found out, we will not let the athletics world down,” said HRH Prince Feisal, President of the Jordan Olympic Committee.

“We have proved ourselves capable of hosting major world championships and we will deliver something special and unique next March. Not only do we encourage athletes and coaches to attend but also their family members, friends, spectators and anyone else wanting to discover why Jordan has become one of the most desirable destinations of the 21st Century.”

The 37th IAAF World Cross Country Championships is the sixth major global sporting event to be held in Jordan over the last three years. Earlier this year, it hosted the FIA World Rally Championship and previously snooker, triathlon and fencing have all held their world championships on Jordan’s shores.

Also in March, Jordan hosted the International Olympic Committee (IOC) World Conference on Women and Sport, an event attended by IOC President Dr Jacques Rogge.

The latest addition to the list will be held in stunning countryside just 15 kms from the capital city of Amman at the Bisharat Golf Club. The same venue was used in 2007 for the Asian Cross Country Championship, and the club’s grounds will again be converted from a nine-hole course into a challenging route capable of testing the world’s very best.

In another word, Jordan will be the second arab country after morocoo to host IAAF World Cross Country Championships. Last year jordan has just sucessfully hosted jordan rally, now lets hope the IAAF which will be held this march will be success as well.

For more information, there is a website also if you want
http://www.amman2009.com :banana::banana:

This is a new update

Published on : 22/02/2009


Despite horrific weather forcing Jordan to cancel its IAAF World Cross Country Championships test event on Saturday, officials in attendance from the world governing body have praised the Kingdom’s preparations for its biggest sporting event of the year.

Rain, snow and sleet fell heavily on Amman on Friday night and continued through Saturday morning, bringing the safety of competitors and officials travelling from across the country into doubt.


However, the IAAF officials spent the day at the course with the local organising committee to offer advice on the final touches before 750 of the world’s best middle and long distance runners arrive in Amman for the March 28th event. Their report gave a glowing indication that Amman is ready to add another world class sporting event to its growing portfolio.

The 37th IAAF World Cross Country Championships is visiting Asia for only the second time in its history and will feature Olympic medalists and world record holders from 67 countries.


The four races – junior men, junior women, senior men, senior women – will take place at the Bisharat Golf Club which has been transformed with the support of Greater Amman Municipality into a venue that the IAAF officials have described as ‘testing’ and ‘tough’. The test event was to show how the course will look next month and to give local officials the opportunity to test their capabilities. The decision to cancel was made in consultation with the visiting IAAF and will not be rescheduled.

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25 February 2009 AMMAN (JT) - Jordan is set to benefit from a timely economic boost when it hosts the 37th IAAF World Cross Country Championships on March 28, according to a statement by the organisers.

Official figures released by last year’s host city, Edinburgh, show that nearly $10 million was pumped into the local and surrounding communities by the thousands of athletes, coaches and visitors that attended what is regarded as the biggest winter athletics event on the sporting calendar, according to the statement.

Jordan can expect a similar windfall with up to 1,000 athletes and coaches already booked to attend from 70 countries with many extending their stays to sample the touristic charms that Jordan has become renowned for.

“Figures like these underline the reason why we bring these world-class events to Jordan,” HRH Prince Feisal, president of the Jordan Olympic Committee (JOC), was quoted in the statement as saying. “Sport is one of the best ways of promoting your country to the world in a positive light and, like the many events we have hosted before it, the IAAF World Cross Country Championships will provide an ideal platform to showcase Jordan to a global audience.”

The world’s leading television broadcasters - including the BBC - will show extensive coverage of the event which will in turn provide a sustained economic legacy through tourism and other inward travel.

Edinburgh’s economic windfall was announced in a report commissioned by EventScotland and the City of Edinburgh Council and the finding makes positive reading for Jordan’s business community. An estimated $6 million was spent by visitors to the country with the rest generated by internal tourism.

The report also highlighted that the event was watched in an incredible 166 countries and created up to 100 jobs.

“A sporting event like the World Cross Country Championships has the potential to generate not only additional visitors for its duration, but helps to increase the number of repeat visits. In this case it is likely to bring new visitors through the worldwide broadcast to 166 countries,” Paul Bush, chief operating officer of EventScotland, was quoted in the statement as saying.

Amman 2009 will engage 300 volunteers and workers, and will transform Jordan’s only golf club on the airport road into a long-term dual facility for running as well. The organising committee is working closely with the JOC and the Greater Amman Municipality to ensure the city makes a big impact on the athletics world.

The event itself attracts the world’s best middle- and long-distance runners, including many medallists from the Beijing Olympics.

AMMAN (JT) - As the deadline for entries inches closer, host country Jordan has unveiled its team that will compete with the world’s best middle distance runners at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Amman on March 28.

With world record holders and Olympic champions among an anticipated record entry heading to Amman from six continents, the event also provides emerging countries like Jordan with the rare opportunity to match their progress with the heroes of the sport.

According to a statement from organisers, Jordan hosted its own trials on Sunday and will enter Methkal Abu Drais, Mohammad Abu Mansour, Aymen Rubaiat, Bashar Al Kafrini, Suleiman Al Ghodran, Hamza Al Madahna and Hussein Momani in the senior men event, Ra’ed Abu Mharab, Yazan Abunaja, Motasem Akkawi, Tha’er Al Jawhar, Salameh Al Hayawi, Hasan Al Najjar and Hamza Barhumah in the junior men event, and Ghurood Al Dghaimat, Nahidah Al Bawwat, Rasha Ayoub, Asimah Ghanem, Esra’a Ikhlawi, Ala’ Ziad Khalifah and Faten Nemrawi in the junior women’s event. The Kingdom will not be fielding athletes in the senior women’s event.

The 37th IAAF World Cross Country Championships are being held at the Bisharat Golf Club under the patronage of HRH Prince Feisal, president of the Jordan Olympic Committee.

The event attracts the best middle and long distance runners in the world who will all be vying for a share of the $400,000 in prize money available, which is put up by the world governing body for athletics - the IAAF.

Teams will start arriving in Amman this weekend with Australia the first to touch down.

Volunteers shaping up

An army of Jordanian volunteers are being put though final preparations to welcome thousands of athletes, coaches and fans.

A record number of entries from 70 countries are set to compete for one of athletics’ most prestigious titles when Jordan hosts the running world’s biggest winter event, and in order to make a strong immediate impact over 500 volunteers are being trained.

“Volunteers provide the backbone to any event and without their efforts we could simply not host such a major championship,” Prince Feisal was quoted in the statement as saying. “The volunteers are very much on the front line and the work that they do will be crucial to ensuring a lasting positive memory for the thousands of visitors we are expecting here.”

All volunteers will be put through an initiation presentation before receiving specialist training for their specific roles. A test event was held in Amman last week which highlighted several areas where volunteers and officials need to fill and this has also been addressed in these final weeks.

Scores of volunteers have worked on previous championships held in the Kingdom, but many will be stepping up to an international event for the first time. As a result, the championship will have created a new generation of volunteers who can easily adapt their new skills and experience for other social and community projects.

Jordan will become only the second Asian country to host the IAAF World Cross Country Championships, following Japan in 2006, and as a result, the support from fellow Arab and Asian countries has been extensive and has boosted the entry list.

Countries from all corners of the world are confirmed for what promises to be one of the social and sporting events of the year. Athletes are set to start arriving in Amman from March 21 and are expected to help pump up to $10 million into the local economy.

Entry to the event will be free and shuttle buses will be on hand to transport fans to and from the venue.



18 March 2009

Published on : 21/03/2009
Amman, Jordan: The IAAF World Cross Country Championships will open a new chapter for the way sporting events are planned and organised in Jordan in the future.

For the first time in the Kingdom, the environment and ‘green’ issues have been given priority as organisers bid to ensure that everything possible is done to guarantee the landscape is enhanced and not affected by the event taking place at the Bisharat Golf Club on March 28th.


“The Local Organising Committee is doing everything within its powers to ensure that this event does not detract or affect the surrounding countryside,” said HRH Prince Feisal Al Hussein, President of Jordan Olympic Committee. “The venue is one of Jordan’s most stunning locations and we are taking great care to improve and not to detract the vicinity. This is the first time that a sporting event in Jordan has paid so much attention to ‘green’ issues.”


As the course work, undertaken by the Greater Amman Municipality, takes shape, great care has been taken to replant trees that needed to be removed and a beautification survey was carried out to add more greenery to the course, particularly at the finish area.


Organisers even took the unprecedented step of re-routing the course to avoid disruption to a huge ant colony which would have originally been destroyed.


For the event itself, organisers have managed to cable in mains electricity to cut down on emissions from temporary generators while a massive recycling operation will be launched to dispose of the waste generated by the race day. In the build up to the big day, employees have been warned about unnecessary paper usage while even the vehicles used will be kept to a minimum.

The IAAF World Cross Country Championships are taking place in Asia only the second time. More than 700 athletes and officials are due to arrive, making this one of the biggest single sporting events that the region has ever welcomed.


The action will get underway at 2.30pm at the Bisharat Golf Club where four world champions will be crowned in Senior Men, Senior Women, Junior Men and Junior Women categories. Buses will be organised free of charge to ferry spectators from Amman to the venue. More information is on the web site www.amman2009.com.


Worldwide coverage of the event is expected to reach 500 million people as athletes from all six continents look for a share of the $300,000 in prize money that is on offer

Published on : 21/03/2009
Amman, Jordan: The 37th IAAF World Cross Country Championships are set to leave a lasting legacy for Jordan when the Kingdom hosts the event on March 28th at the Bisharat Golf Course.


Over 700 runners are due to take part in what is considered as the world’s top ‘winter’ athletics event with 63 countries confirming their attendance ahead of deadline day this week.


While the focus is set to be on the world’s best middle and long distance runners, the city of Amman will be left with a lasting legacy as a result of hosting one of the biggest social and sporting events of the year.


“Every dollar spent to host this event is regarded as an investment for Jordan,” said HRH Prince Feisal Al Hussein, President of the Jordan Olympic Committee. “Hosting major international sporting events is part of our long term vision for promoting Jordan to the world and events like this are crucial while at the same time improving sporting facilities and opportunities for all Jordanians.”


While the mass media coverage will ensure Jordan is promoted to the world and the thousands of visitors coming for the event will pump an estimated $10 million into the local economy, the Kingdom will benefit from other spin-offs.


The work currently being carried out at the Bisharat Golf Club – located in one of Jordan’s most picturesque locations – will prepare it as a future dual facility as a running/walking location with the new track running around the perimeter of the Club to be opened for future use.


The Local Organising Committee is currently training 400 volunteers to work on the event, many of whom have never worked on an event of this size and stature before. The legacy will be an army of well-trained and prepared young people that can carry their skills and experience into a wide range of future events.


For the athletics community, the event will be priceless. Jordan’s young athletes will be mixing with the world’s best for the race week and while they are picking up new training techniques and advice, the local athletics officials will have the chance-of-a-lifetime to work on a world championship.


The IAAF World Cross Country Championship start at 2.30pm on March 28th with free entry for all spectators. Buses will be organised free of charge to ferry spectators from Amman to the venue. More information is on the web site www.amman2009.com.


Worldwide coverage of the event is expected to reach 500 million people as athletes from all six continents look for a share of the $300,000 in prize money that is on offer.

AMMAN (AFP) — Jordan will continue to host world and regional sports events in a bid to bolster its global image and tap into the lucrative tourist market, according to the country's top sports official.

Prince Feisal al-Hussein, brother of Jordan's King Abdullah II and current head of the Jordanian Olympic Committee, has been the driving force behind the Middle East country hosting five world sports events over the last four years.

And he pledged ahead of Saturday's World Cross-Country Championships here that he would try to attract more sporting events to better "showcase Jordan" and portray his country in a positive light not oft associated with the Middle East.

"It is critical for the promotion of Jordan," Prince Feisal said of the cross-country meet. "It give us the opportunity to showcase Jordan as a safe and secure leisure destination.

"It's a great opportunity to showcase Jordan not only in terms of what we can do in providing a venue for world-class events but also for athletes, officials and fans to see the history and culture of our country.

"Ultimately our objective is for all guests to have a wonderful event and wonderful memories to take back home."

Jordan, he said, had been lucky in being able to host world triathlon, fencing and snooker events as well as a stage of the World Rally Championship over the last four years.

"We are trying to put Jordan on the world sporting map," admitted the English and US-educated prince who trained as a fighter pilot.

"We're looking at other world, regional and Asian championships to host.

"It's not just a question of hosting events here but bringing world class athletes here and world interest in Jordan... to show how rich it is in culture and history.

"We want to show it's a very safe and secure environment for athletes and hopefully not what you see on the television about the Middle East," he said.

Jordan has been a relative haven of peace compared to its neighbours - Israel and the Palestinian Territories, Iraq, Syria and Saudi Arabia - which have all been beset by lingering regional and international problems.

But Prince Feisal acknowledged that Jordan did not have the necessary infrastructure to host a larger multi-event tournament.

"We won't in the near future be bidding to host the Asian Games or the Olympics," he said.

"Hosting the Olympics is something we'd maybe consider in the long term but we have no plans to do so in the immediate future. We'd need much more infrastructure to host such an event."

IAAF president Lamine Diack added: "One of my dreams is to universalise the sport of athletics all over the world. That's why I'm happy this cross-country championships is being hosted in the Middle East for the first time.

"Why did we pick Jordan? Because Jordan was a candidate," Diack said, largely sidestepping the question of the relative unpopularity of the sport of cross-country and difficulties in attracting host nations.

"I had the opportunity to come here and attend a regional championships. I spent a good time in this country so when we saw Jordan was a candidate it was like a blessing from heaven," said the Senegalese national."

TODAY IS THE TOURNAMENT, ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT SPORT WHERE MORE THAN 68 COUNTRIES WILL PARTICIPATE INCLUDING THE OLYMPICS PLAYER WHICH THEY COMPETE IN BEIJING 2008 ITS GOING TO START AT 7:30 PM, LETS HOPE THE TOURNAMENT WILL BE SUCCESS, ANY ONE WHO LIVE IN JORDAN CAN GO THERE:banana::banana::banana::banana: TO BAD I AM NOT IN JORDAN TODAY.

A big day for jordan. many eyes on this tournament, and how well Jordan handles it. If people see this tournament as a success maybe Jordan may attempt to bid for other sporting events.

Hopefully all goes to plan, and everyone enjoys Jordan and what it has to offer.

please post pics when available

Sorry i cant post picture, but u can find more information including the pictures at www.amman2009.com

please post pics when available
and ofcourse the official website www.iaaf.org

the timetable for the tournament

Race Time
Junior Women 14:30
Junior Men 15:00
Senior Women 15:40
Senior Men 16:30

http://www.jordantimes.com/?news=15423
congratulation to the winners
:dance::dance:

AMMAN - Ethiopia’s Gebre-egziabher Gebremariam (35m02s) on Saturday was crowned champion of the senior men’s race of the 37th International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) World Cross Country Championships held at the Bisharat Golf Club in Amman.

“I am so excited and tired it was a tough race from the beginning but I pressured myself and won the race,” Gebremariam said.

Uganda’s Moses Ndiema Kipsiro came in second with 35m04s followed by Eritria’s Zersenay Tadese with 35m 04s.

Kenya’s Florence Jebet Kiplagat was crowned champion of the senior women’s race after clocking 26m13s seconds followed by Kenya’s Linet Chepkwemoi Masai with 26minutes16s, leaving the third spot to Ethipia’s Meselech Melkamu with 26m19s.

“I can’t believe I did it. The race was so close from the beginning, but it is now over and I am happy,” Kiplagat said.

In the junior women’s race, defending champion Ethiopian Genzebe Dibaba said that she feels so tired but happy to have won. Dibaba clocked 20m14s.

“I am thrilled, but so tired the last few metres were very tough,” she said.

Second place went to Kenya’s Mercy Cherono, who said: “ I lost it in the last few steps although I was in control of most of the race.” Cherono clocked 20m17s.

Kenya’s Jackline Chepngeno came in third place after clocking 20m27s.

In the junior men’s race, Ethiopian Ayele Abshero took first place after clocking 23m26s, followed by Kenya’s Titus Kipjumba Mbishei, 23m30s, and Uganda’s Moses Kibet, 23m35s.

“The course was really very testing and I am happy I traded my silver medal from last year for gold,” Abshero said.

With the absence of the reigning Olympic 10,000m and 5,000m gold medallist and world record holder Ethiopian Kenenisa Bekele and women’s champion Tirunesh Dibaba due to injury, the event was an open battlefield for the talents of Africa to reserve the title.

The event marked the first time since 1976 that there is no defending champion in both senior races.

Runners from 61 countries have to battle the cold and very windy weather to claim titles in four races.

Hundreds of fans battled the cold and windy weather at the Bisharat Golf Club to watch four new champions of the 37th IAAF World Cross Country Championships being crowned.

HRH Prince Feisal, president of the Jordan Olympic Committee (JOC), expressed his happiness that the event took place in Jordan.

“We are thrilled to host 61 countries in a world-class event and this is the 5th global event to be held in the last four years,” he said.

“We are also thrilled that four new champions were crowned here,” he added.

Prince Feisal stated that Jordan is lucky that it will also have the chance to host the World Athletics Championship.

“We want our athletes to enjoy these events and learn from the international runners,” he said.

IAAF President Lamine Diack said that the association is pleased that the cross country championships is held in the Middle East.

“We are expanding with Oman and Iraq becoming members which means this great event is becoming even more popular than ever,” he said.

“This year we believe that the competition is extra ordinary due to the strong teams which took part,” he added.

Sport in Jordan reached another landmark when the Kingdom won the bid to host the 2009 IAAF World Cross Country Championships after a decision was taken in Monaco in 2007.

The IAAF was satisfied with the level of sport in the Kingdom after a presentation on Jordan’s ability to host such an important event.

“It was the perfect setting for the perfect world-class event,” Ismael Ghassab, president of the Jordan Athletics Federation, told The Jordan Times.

“Jordan is ready to be part of the athletic world and the future of this sport,” he added.

Next year Poland will host the event.