Doha: Piotr Malachowski, the Polish Olympic and World silver medallist in the discus throw has today become the fourth internationally renowned athlete to publicly support Doha’s Bid to host the 2019 IAAF World Championships.
Malachowski joins Chris Brown, Derek Drouin and Valerie Adams who have already announced their backing of the campaign to connect the world of athletics in Qatar in 2019.
Piotr Malachowski this year won his second Diamond Race title to add to his 2010 European title and World and Olympic silver medals.
Malachowski began the 2014 season with his second successive victory at the Doha Diamond League meeting, gaining important points for the overall Diamond Race that enabled him to beat World and Olympic Champion, Robert Harting, by just 2 points.
Malachowski has been competing in Doha since 2011 and has seen first-handhow Doha has grown and developed into the global sports hub that it is today. He feels that Doha’s experience of hosting world-class events and its existing world-class facilities mean that it is ready to host the 2019 IAAF World Championships.
Speaking about his support for Doha 2019, Malachowski said: “Doha is a magnificent place and it always amazes me every time I arrive. I have been competing in Doha for several years and it has been fascinating to watch the city grow and develop and become the sports hub that it is today - there are new buildings, new stadiums, a huge new airport and extensive infrastructure of a very high standard.
“I am very impressed by the focus that Doha has given to developing world-class sports facilities and hosting international sports events.”
“My experience of competing in Doha has always been enjoyable. It really is the perfect destination for an athlete. It is very centrally located and you can fly there directly from so many places – even from Poland. It has superb sporting facilities and an excellent crowd, which for sportsmen is perhaps the most important factor. I am supporting Doha 2019 because of their proven experience and because they are already prepared to host a fantastic World Championships.”
Doha’s experience of hosting world-class sports events include the 2006 Asian Games, the 2010 IAAF World Indoor Championships, the 2011 Arab Games and the annual IAAF Diamond League (previously the IAAF Super Grand Prix), meeting every year since 1997, to name but a few.
It has existing state-of-the-art facilities, including the Khalifa International Stadium where the World Championships would be held and which is currently being upgraded to take it to the highest level of technical standards, the Qatar National Convention Centre, which would play host to the IAAF’s Congress – already host to the world’s most prestigious and complex congresses and one of the most sustainable venues in the world, Aspetar, the first specialised Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Hospital in the entire Gulf region, and the Anti-Doping Laboratory Qatar, the first of its kind in the region, which is located less than 500m from the Stadium’s doping control room.
Situated at the heart of the Arabian Gulf, Doha is the perfect bridge between East and West – it is just a four-hour flight from 2 billion people and it is just a 1-hour time difference between Doha and most of Europe. Doha’s status as a global sports hub is set to grow exponentially with no less than seven World Championships set to take place over the next five years, including Swimming, IPC Athletics, Handball and Gymnastics. By 2019, Doha will no doubt be one of the world’s great sporting cities.
Speaking about Piotr Malachowski’s support, President of the Qatar Athletics Federation, Dahlan Al Hamad, said: “Piotr Malachowski is an exceptionally experienced and distinguished athleteand it is a real honour to have his support for Doha 2019. He is been competing in Doha for several years and we are delighted that he has both enjoyed his experience and that he recognises our commitment to developing world-class facilities and our ability to host successful international athletics events.
“We believe that these existing state-of-the-art facilities and our proven track record of hosting world-class events mean that we are ready to host an exceptional World Championships in 2019. Doha is one of the best connected cities in the world and it is our dream to connect the world of athletics in Doha in 2019.”
Doha is competing against bids from Eugene, USA, and Barcelona, Spain. Each city submitted their candidature files on 25th September and will receive a visit from the IAAF Evaluation Commission later in October. The final decision will be taken by the IAAF Council at its meeting in Monaco in November 2014.
You can watch Malachowski’s message of support here:http://youtu.be/BdNhvxO3UgA.
The Peninsula
