Guiyang, March 27 (IANS): Lamine Diack, president of the world's athletics governing body IAAF, has praised preparations made by the local organisers and stressed the significance of the competition ahead of the 2015 World Cross-Country championships to be held here Saturday.

"The 41st edition in Guiyang is a truly significant moment for the development of Cross-Country running both nationally and internationally. It marks the first time that the championships have ever taken place in China," Diack was quoted as saying by Xinhua on Friday.

"I am highly confident that these will be a very well organised competition. China is a regular and much respected host of IAAF competitions. Also the venue here in Guiyang has since 2000 hosted both Asian and national Cross-Country championships."

The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) tournament consists of four events including men's 12-kilometre, women's 8km, junior men's 8km and junior women's 6km, reports Xinhua.

"The IAAF world Cross-Country championships are the oldest IAAF world athletics series event having first been celebrated under the IAAF banner in 1973," Diack said.

"In fact, this will be only the third occasion that the IAAF world Cross-Country championships have been hosted in Asia, following on from the 2006 edition in Fukuoka, Japan and the 2009 celebration in Amman, Jordan."

"I wish good fortune to all the runners and look forward to witnessing a great sporting spectacle," added Diack, who will in August step down as IAAF head.

The 41st edition of the biennial tournament will feature some 450 athletes from 51 countries and regions, vying for both individual and team titles in each events.