Qatari athlete Mariam Farid assists a young kid to fix a piece of the jigsaw puzzle that has the picture of Falah - the official mascot of the Doha 2019 World Athletics Championship, during the unveiling ceremony at Qatar Foundation’s Awsaj Academy, yeste
Qatar is hoping the athletic falcon - Falah - unveiled as the official mascot of the Doha 2019 World Athletics Championships will inspire and ‘engage new young athletes across Qatar, the region and the world.’
Speaking to journalists after the unveiling ceremony, Vice Chairman and Director General of the Local Organising Committee (LOC) and Vice President of the IAAF, Dahlan Al Hamad, said: “Falah represents the pursuit of excellence and symbolises the importance of always giving your very best in everything you do. These are the values and ambitions of the LOC, as we look to deliver an event that inspires a new generation and welcomes fans from all corners of the world.”
“As a falcon Falah can fly freely into new horizons without boundaries and that is our approach shaping and supporting athletics of the future. We want to showcase this wonderful sport to new audiences and more people than ever before, and engage new young athletes across Qatar, the region and the world. That can only happen if people take flight and join us by descending into Doha for the first ever IAAF World Championships in the Middle East, so the spirit of flight and adventure really connected with us through Falah,” he added.
“Athletics for Falah is a way to show the world how to be a true athlete. He is competitive, courageous, and helpful like no other. He is loyal, funny, helps his friends and often shows off his athletic moves,” said Theodore Paul Manuel, the Filipino expat who created Falah.
Manuel, who has called Qatar home since 2010, received a financial prize of QR10,000 for his winning design.
“I’m very excited that my idea will become a reality. I want to see how Falah inspires the event especially amongst the younger generation,” Manuel said.
Building on the exciting reveal of Falah, the LOC has confirmed that the world’s greatest athletics collection is coming to Doha thanks to the IAAF Heritage World Athletics Championships Exhibition, 1983 to 2019.
Supported by text, photographic and video displays, the exhibition focusses on the 35-year history of the IAAF World Athletics Championships which were inaugurated in 1983 and is set to open for a six-month period from the 18th April 2019 in City Center Doha shopping mall, West Bay Area, Doha.
Doha will be welcoming 2000 athletes from 213 countries along with approximately 10,000 international guests, 30,000 spectators from outside Qatar and media representatives from around the world.
The third biggest sporting event in the world, the championship will be broadcast to more than 200 countries reaching out to more than 7 million viewers. The competition will be held from 27 September to 6 October at Khalifa International Stadium.
Ticket packages for the widely anticipated event went on sale for fans and families across the world in September.
