COLOMBO, April 7 (Xinhua) -- The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) has condemned the bomb blast at the start of a marathon in Sri Lanka that killed 15 people including a minister, a former Olympian and a national coach.

    The Daily Mirror said on its website on Monday that the IAAF has condemned the bomb blast that killed Highway and Road Development Minister Jeyaraj Fernandopulle, marathon runner K.A. Karunaratne and National Athletic coach Lakshaman De Alwisis on Sunday morning.

    In a statement, IAAF President Lamine Diack said "the IAAF utterly condemns this outrage. To target those innocently involved in a sporting event is reprehensible. Our thoughts and prayers go to the bereaved families."

    An LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) suicide bomber killed 15 people and injured 83 others at the start of of a road marathon in Weliweriaya, about 19 km northeast of the capital Colombo.

    Karunaratne competed in the 1992 Olympic marathon and the 1993 World Championships. He won gold in the marathon and 10,000 meters at the 1991 South Asian Games, defending his marathon title in 1993.

    The LTTE has been fighting the government troops since the mid-1980s to carve out a separate homeland for the Tamil minority in the north and east, resulting in the death of more than 70,000 people.