Adnan Hamdan
Doha, Qatar- Doha is preparing to host the World Athletics Championships next year. It will be the first city in the Middle East to host this major athletics event.
A large delegation of IAAF officials and technical experts visiting Doha have been on a two-day intensive visit to the venue with the officials of the local Organising Committee for the 2019 World Athletics Championships in the framework of the coordination process ahead of each major tournament.
Dahlan Al-Hamad, vice president and general manager of the IAAF, said that with more than a year before the event, he was confident of Doha’s ability to host world champions.
“We confirm the readiness of our airport, our hotels, the Khalifa International Stadium and the Ticketing Programme, and we will unveil the logo of the tournament when we meet exactly one year before the tournament on Thursday, September 27. Next year, to connect all of these facilities combined with our willingness to host this innovative and exciting event that will attract fans of athletics from around the world fills me with pride.”
The highlight of the visit was to show the delegates the air conditioned system at Khalifa International Stadium, the first in the world that will provide a comfortable temperature for all athletes, officials and the masses.
“I do not know if the rest of the world believes it can be done,” said Geoff Gardner, member of the International Federation of Athletics Federation (IAAF), head of the delegation.
“But I can confirm that our Championships will provide the perfect environment for the athletes.”
“There are always challenges when hosting this major event, but if the local organizing committee in Doha rises to the level of all these challenges, as now, our championships are in good hands.”
“We have made significant progress in our plans over the weekend. One of our goals was to build close relations between the officials of the local organizing committee and the officials of the International Federation, because the formation of a unified team will build a foundation for a successful tournament before more than Year ahead of the event.”
In this context, heads of delegations of 30 countries arrived in Doha with a view to inspecting the championship facilities, training courses, hotels and knowledge of logistics plans.
On Thursday, the local organising committee will discuss the details of the ticket program, unveil its logo and brand, and celebrate one year before the 2019 World Athletics Championships.
The organisers of the 2019 World Athletics Championships will also perform a series of key tasks in the coming months, including the marathon track lighting test in October, and the International Media Broadcasters and News Agencies meeting in November. The Asian Athletics Championships will also be held in April 2019 at the Khalifa International Stadium, in addition to the Doha Round of Diamond League scheduled for May 2019.
Qatar has a long history of hosting international athletics championships, from hosting the 1997 Grand Prix of Athletics to the Diamond League for the last nine years, and the 2010 World Indoor Athletics Championships in Aspire.
The 2019 World Athletics Championships will be held from September 27 to October 6 in Doha, Qatar.