Qatar can develop a leading role in international sports law and regulation to complement an impressive record of hosting major sports events. The country is positioned to become a regional and international leader in sports law and governance, according to an expert.
“Qatar has already made impressive strides in this direction. The country hosts the newly established Qatar Sports Arbitration Tribunal (QSAT), an independent organisation which resolves sports-related disputes through arbitration and mediation.
Rather than seeing mega sports events as the end themselves, they can be viewed as an opportunity to further develop infrastructure that positions Qatar at the forefront of international sports governance,” said Zachary R. Calo, Professor of Law at Hamad bin Khalifa University, and a Member of McNair Chambers who is also on the list of arbitrators of the Qatar Sports Arbitration Tribunal.
To date, international sports law is constituted by a wide range of institutions and organisations. National and international sports federations, antidoping organisations, and dispute resolution tribunals establish the architecture of international sport.
The International Olympic Committee, FIFA, the World Anti-Doping Association(WADA), and the Court of Arbitration for Sport are all involved in making and enforcing the rules that govern international sport.
Calo said Qatar is currently also a home to the only WADA accredited anti-doping laboratory in the region, and has hosted a range of conferences and initiatives on sports integrity. “Building on such efforts will enhance the country’s reputation within international sport while providing significant spillover economic benefits.
Initial steps include expanding the work of the QSAT and making Qatar the preeminent regional hub for sports law and dispute resolution,” said Calo. He added: “Such efforts should be coordinated with broader initiatives to expand Qatar’s reputation as a market leader in international dispute resolution, which might include creating an arbitration institution under the auspices of the Qatar International Court and Dispute Resolution Centre.
Qatar should also work to expand its profile as a hub for sports governance by building on its existing institutional strengths and global reputation. In so doing, Qatar can seize a leading role in the legal and regulatory aspects of sport to complement ongoing investment in the business and spectator side of the industry”.
