THE FINAL curtain may have just fallen on this year's track and field season but there is little rest for BLE officials who are preparing to host the International Amateur Athletic Federation's Calendar Congress in Dublin next week.

The congress will be the biggest administrative undertaking by the sport in this country with the Calendar Congress by far the most important yearly meeting of the sport. The dates for all the major track and field, road and cross country meetings for next year and beyond will be decided.

The IAAF Development committee will also be holding a session in Dublin. The European Athletic Association, who oversee the sport in Europe, will also hold their council meeting. A total of 500 delegates from most of the 200 plus countries affiliated to IAAF are expected in Dublin.

The president of the IAAF, Primo Nebiolo of Italy, is expected to attend the congress and will also meet the President, Mrs Robinson.

Planning for the future was also very much on the mind of BLE at their management meeting last week. They have chosen the managers for most of the major events right Lip to the Sydney Olympic Games in four years. Indeed the BLE's president, Michael McKeon, has already viewed some of the facilities for the Olympic Games in Australia during a recent visit.

Donegal's Patsy McGonagle has been nominated as manager as the track and field team for Sydney. McGonagle is the driving force behind the sport in Donegal with his club Finn Valley one of the most progressive in the country and are the current women's national cross country champions.

Nick Davis, who managed the team for the Atlanta Olympics, has been selected in the same capacity for the World Championships in Athens next August.

Irish athletes get into action quickly with the first invitation of the season seeing an squad travelling to Cardiff to help the Welsh Athletic Association celebrate their centenary in two weeks while in November a squad will travel to contest the Eikeden Relay over the classic marathon distance.