A file photo of Qatar SC Stadium during an earlier edition of the Doha Diamond League.
Qatar Athletics Federation (QAF) President Dr Thani Al Kuwari yesterday said strict health protocols have been implemented for the last leg of the curtailed Wanda Diamond League season which has been shortened by the coronavirus pandemic sweeping the world.
Only four meetings have been planned for this season with events in Eugene, London, Paris, Rabat, Gateshead and Shanghai cancelled. On Friday, Doha will join Monaco, Stockholm and Rome as the only four cities to hold regular meetings.
The Qatar Sports Club Stadium will host the revised 12-event programme which includes sprint hurdles and 800m for both men and women; 100m, 3000m and long jump for women; and 200m, 400m, 1500m and pole vault for men.
“The Qatar Athletics Federation is committed to hosting this event in a safe manner. The meet was supposed to he held in May but after rescheduling, we are hosting it on September 25. We are ready to host the event.
We have covered all bases,” Dr Thani said yesterday.
“We were facing difficult circumstances - just as the rest of the world was - with the coronavirus pandemic but with the efforts of the Ministry of Public Health (MOPH), the Qatar Olympic Committee and the Diamond League Organising Committee, we have put in place safety measures to stop the spread of the virus. We are pleased to thank MOPH for their efforts,” he said.
“Hosting the event now gives everyone the message that we have to adapt and battle on against coronavirus. We have the commitment to host the event. We have been preparing the protocols and implementing the safety measures. We have a challenge in front of us but we are ready for it. The meeting was to be held in August but we asked the IAAF to have the event slotted in September. We knew to host the event in August would be a little early for us. September seemed fine and Qatar quickly expressed its readiness.
“Now we are hosting the AFC Champions League matches. Yes, there were some cases but those were handled quickly. We are managing the crisis situations well. We have the MOPH following the international standards on implementing the safety protocols,” he said.
“The meeting will be held behind closed doors, without fans. That’s the decision of the IAAF. This is the 10th edition of the Diamond League to be held in Doha. We have hosted a number of events like the IAAF World Athletics Championships in 2019. It was one of the best events in recent history.
“The confirmation of athletes for the Doha leg which will be held at Qatar SC shows the trust IAAF has in Qatar’s ability to deliver a good event. This also shows that Qatar is battling the crisis well and it shows we can organize an event like this with SOPs. This will be the first major international event to be held in Qatar while the world fights the virus.
“I would like to thank the stakeholders for their efforts to host the event. Our thanks also go to our sponsors for backing our event,” Dr Thani added.
Khalid Al Marri, the Doha Diamond League Meeting Director, yesterday said: “The Diamond League is the last meeting of the season. In the last three meetings, there were some records set and some broken. We have 10 Olympic champions in Doha. We have the pole vault world champion here. It should be an exciting competition. We also have the 1,500m final. The field includes champions. The same is the case in the 10,000m final. Mutaz Barshim will be not here so there’s no high jump competition.” He added: “It’s been a tough summer for everyone, yet we’ve witnessed some exceptional track and field performances. I’m confident that in Doha, the fourth and final competitive meeting of this shortened 2020 Wanda Diamond League series, we’ll provide a fitting finale.”
Talal Al Mansour, a former Qatari athlete, said: “We have young Qatari athletes competing here. They can learn so much from competing in Doha. The QAF giving opportunity to our athletes competing at top events like the one to be held in Qatar is a good move.”
