The association and the islands
Lakshadweep is an archipelago of coral islands and reefs and forms the smallest Union Territory of India. These beautiful and unpolluted islands have a land area of 32 sq km and are surrounded by around 4200 sq km of territorial sea. There are 27 islands in all, of which 10 are inhabited, scattered in the Arabian Sea about 220 to 440 km off the west coast of Kerala.
It was a long-cherished dream of the sports-loving people of Lakshadweep to establish an athletics association. After a concerted effort from many people, that dream became a reality. The geographical isolation of the islands from one another and the remoteness from the mainland had long been major constraints to establishing and properly running such an association.
Lakshadweep is India's only coral island chain, located between 8 to 12 degrees north latitude and 71 to 74 degrees east longitude, 220 to 440 km from Kochi in Kerala, in the Arabian Sea. This archipelago consists of 36 islands, 12 atolls, 3 reefs and 5 submerged banks. The lagoons enclosed by the atolls cover around 4200 sq km.
Only 10 of these islands are inhabited: Agatti, Amini, Andrott, Bitra, Chetlat, Kadmat, Kalpeni, Kavaratti, Kiltan and Minicoy. Kavaratti is the administrative headquarters of the Union Territory. Entry permit from the administration is required to visit the islands, which are connected by ships and flights from Kochi. During the southwest monsoon from May to October, rough weather and heavy rain often reduce connectivity.
Lakshadweep Athletics Association was formed in 2013 and registered under the Society Registration Act 1860 on 18 July 2014. Athletics Federation of India granted provisional affiliation on 16 May 2016, and later permanent affiliation was granted. LAA was recognized by the Lakshadweep Island State Sports Council in 2019.
All the islands are affiliated units under LAA except Bitra, while Chetlat and Bitra are considered as a single unit. Though sports associations existed since the 1980s, none had become active and affiliated to national federations. LAA became the first ever nationally affiliated sports association in the history of Lakshadweep Islands.