January 6: A few years form now, Bhutanese athletes will be running on synthetic tracks instead of the otherwise plain grass and sand. This was approved by the Cabinet last month. The Bhutan Amateur Athletic Federation who will look after the construction says that the track will be constructed at the CICCC ground.

Bhutanese athletes have always performed on either naturally grown grass or sand. They have never performed on synthetic base track. But soon they will be able to do so.

The Bhutan Amateur Athletic Federation has been given the green signal by the government to construct synthetic or rubber base tracks. The approval from the Cabinet came on December 18, 2008.

Dorji Tenzin the General Secretary of the Bhutan Amateur Athletic Federation says the track will be constructed at the CICCC ground with funds from the International Association of Athletics Federation and the government.

The construction of a synthetic track is expected to improve the standard of athletics. It will also boost the confidence of make our sportsmen and women and help them improve their performance in international competitions.

Meanwhile, the Bhutan Amateur Athletic Federation is training young athletes at the Yangchenphu sports ground. Around 40 students from different parts of the country are taking part in a basic coaching programme.

The Federation says such programme will inculcate the spirit of competitiveness among the students and also help them keep meaningfully engaged during the winter holidays. The Federation is still looking for more student participation.