Doha: The IAAF Evaluation Commission for the 2019 World Championships, chaired by IAAF Vice-President Sebastian Coe, was welcomed to Doha yesterday by the Secretary General of the Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC), H E Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and the President of the Qatar Athletics Federation, Dahlan Hamad, on the first day of their two-day visit.
The commission is inspecting the Qatari capital’s bid to host the 2019 IAAF World Championship, three weeks before voting to decide which city will hold the prestigious championships at the IAAF Council meeting in Monaco on November 18.
Doha officially submitted its candidature file to host the flagship athletics event on September 25 and is competing against bids from the Spanish city of Barcelona and the USA’s Eugene, both of which have already been visited by the commission earlier this month.
The first day of the commission’s visit saw extensive presentations by the Doha 2019 Bid Committee and by the bid’s partners, including Aspire Zone, at Khalifa International Stadium. Msheireb Properties, another bid partner, gave presentations at their Enrichment Center on Doha’s pristine Corniche.
There, the commission learnt more about Doha’s plans to revolutionize the traditional concept of an Athletes’ Village by offering the first ever “Athletics City”.
Speaking on the arrival of the Evaluation Commission, the President of the Qatar Athletics Federation, Dahlan Hamad, said: “It is an honour to welcome the IAAF Evaluation Commission on their inspection tour of Doha and we hope to demonstrate Doha’s true character as a sporting hub for the region and the world. We are committed to continuing our work with the IAAF to develop athletics and ensure a lasting legacy from the World Championships for generations to come.”
The Acting Director of Aspire Logistics, a member organisation of Aspire Zone Foundation, Ali Saeid Al Fhaida, took the Evaluation Commission on an extensive tour of the Aspire Zone’s facilities, which would be utilised for the World Championships.
These facilities have played host to several international sporting events, including the Asian Games in 2006, the 2010 IAAF World Indoor Championships and the 2011 Arab Games — proving Doha’s experience of hosting world-class events.
The highlight of the tour was a visit to the Aspire Zone’s centrepiece, the Khalifa International Stadium — which is currently under renovation to make it the most state-of-the-art, purpose-built athletics stadium in the world.
At the warm-up area, the Evaluation Commission were greeted by members of the Qatar National Athletics team, including Qatari star high-jumper and Olympic medallist Mutaz Barshim, and rising stars Mariam Farid and Dalal Al Ajmi, who were taking part in an athletics master class with Russian hurdler and Doha 2019 Ambassador Sergey Shubenkov — who is among a host of world-renowned international athletes supporting Doha 2019.
Speaking about his presence in Doha for the IAAF Evaluation Commission’s visit, Shubenkov said: “I am very excited to be here in Doha and show my support for the fantastic bid to host the IAAF World Athletics Championships in 2019. I have really enjoyed working today with their talented young athletes. The Middle East has never hosted
the World Championships before and 60 percent of this region’s population is under the age of 30. This brings an unrivalled opportunity to showcase athletics and introduce a new generation to track and field. I am supporting Doha 2019 because I believe that it would inspire a whole
new region to participate in athletics.”
Hosting the World Championships in Doha will be a first for the Middle East and will present an unparalleled opportunity to connect the world of athletics to a new generation of future athletes and fans. Doha is a gateway to 450m people across 22 countries and 60 percent of them are under the age of 30.
This huge population will be inspired to participate in athletics, creating more elite athletes from across the region, providing more role models, spreading the values of sport and engaging the whole population through athletics.
After concluding their tour of Aspire Zone, the commission headed to the Msheireb Enrichment Center where they attended a presentation on Msheireb Downtown Doha, the location of “Athletics City”, which will be handed over in its entirety for the dedicated use of the 2019 Championships.
The single, brand-new 35 hectare mixed-use development called Msheireb Downtown Doha, in the heart of the city, will be handed over in its entirety for the dedicated use of the 2019 Championships.
The quality of accommodation and the range of facilities available will be beyond anything ever experienced in a traditional Athletes’ Village.
The commission, along with key members of the Doha 2019 Bid Committee, will continue touring Doha today where they will visit the Qatar National Convention Centre, the location of the IAAF’s Congress in 2019, should Doha be successful, and Souq Waqif, Doha’s famous traditional shopping and meeting destination.
THE PENINSULA
