By Sports Reporter/Doha
The IAAF Evaluation Commission for the 2019 World Championships of Athletics, chaired by IAAF vice-president Sebastian Coe, was welcomed to Doha yesterday by secretary general of Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC), HE Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, and president of Qatar Athletics Federation (QAF), Dahlan al-Hamad, on the first day of their two-day visit.
The first day of the Commission’s visit saw extensive presentations by the Doha 2019 Bid Committee and by the Bid’s partners, including the Aspire Zone at Khalifa International Stadium and by Msheireb Properties at their Enrichment Center on Doha’s pristine Corniche. There the Commission learnt more about Doha’s plans to revolutionise the traditional concept of an Athletes’ Village by offering the first ever ‘Athletics City’.
Speaking on the arrival of the Evaluation Commission, the QAF president 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 Evaluation Commission was hosted by Ali Saeid al-Fhaida, acting director of Aspire Logistics, a member organization of the Aspire Zone Foundation, during which the Commission went on an extensive tour of the Aspire Zone’s facilities that would be utilized for the World Championships. These facilities have played host to several international sports events, including the Asian Games in 2006, the 2010 IAAF World Indoor Championships and the 2011 Arab Games, showing Doha’s experience of hosting world-class events.
The highlight of the tour was a visit to the Aspire Zone’s centre piece, 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 medalist 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 one of a host of the world’s greatest international athletes who are supporting Doha 2019, including shot put legend Valerie Adams, Canadian Commonwealth high jump champion Derek Drouin, and Bahamian sprinting hero Chris Brown.
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.
