The submission, presentation and inspection parts are over. It’s now time to wait, and hope for the best.

The eight-member Evaluation Commission of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), under the chairmanship of British athletics legend and IAAF vice-president Sebastian Coe, concluded their busy two-day visit of the Qatari capital yesterday.

The delegation was inspecting
Doha’s bid to host the 2019 IAAF World Championships ahead of voting for the host city, scheduled to held on November 18 in Monaco.

Doha officially submitted its candidature file to host the flagship athletics event on September 25 and is competing against bids from Barcelona (Spain) and Eugene (USA), both of which the IAAF body visited earlier this month.

Coe looked happy and satisfied with what he saw and experienced during his visit.

“We are looking for a city that understands why it wants to host the Championships. This is the third-largest sporting event on the planet, and we have to look into all angles and aspects.

“We went to three very different cities, and we gathered three very different impressions. We will deliberate and would submit a clear and transparent report to the IAAF executive committee, which will take a final call on the matter,” the former middle distance runner said.

Besides looking at the ability to host an event of such magnitude, Coe said they also took into account the city’s past record, besides its focus on legacy after the Championships are over.

“We take that commitment very seriously. We want a city that not only has a clear and robust vision, but also has a clear legacy in place.

“We also looked at the pedigree of the candidate cities in hosting big events in the past. Doha hosted a very good World Indoor Championships (in 2010), and the Diamond League meetings here have been very well organized. It also hosted a successful Asian Games, and continues to host top level sporting events every year. Those
factors will feature in our report,”
Coe added.

The IAAF delegation also met members of the Qatar National athletics team as they were taking part in an athletics master class with Russian hurdler and Doha 2019 ambassador Sergey Shubenkov.

“We spoke to some local athletes, like (high jumper) Mutaz Barshim and (woman sprinter) Mariam Farid, to understand what they think these Championships can do for athletics—not just in Qatar but for the whole region. We have looked at all considerations, and our report will feature all that. Now it’s for the IAAF council to take a final call.”

Sheikh Saoud Abdulrahman al-Thani, secretary general of the Qatar Olympic Committee, said they have given an accurate assessment to the IAAF delegation of what Doha intends to do if given the chance to host the 2019 event.

“Our goal was to give the most accurate representation of this vibrant city, which needs no embellishment. Doha’s sporting infrastructure has grown tremendously in a relatively short period of time and its world-class sporting facilities and institutions have continued to gather international praise.

“This city has hosted many outstanding sporting events and has hosted the IAAF Diamond League annually since 1997. It is this experience and knowledge that guarantees its success in the future.

“The 2019 IAAF World Championships has the potential to be a historic event that connects the world of athletics to a new region full of lively young fans and athletes. It can be a turning point and the start of a new epoch in athletics,” the QOC secretary general said.

The final day of the IAAF Commission’s visit included in-depth presentations regarding Doha’s bid and a tour of the renowned Qatar National Convention Centre (QNCC)—which would host the IAAF Congress alongside the Championships.

 

The Congress is held every two years with the World Championships and consists of the IAAF Council members, honorary members as well as a maximum of three delegates from each
National Athletic Federation—which the QNCC’s existing outstanding facilities are more than capable of accommodating.

The Commission also visited the Aspire Zone’s facilities which would be used for the World Championships. These facilities have already been tried and tested during the hosting of several major international sporting events including the 2006 Asian Games, the 2010 World Indoor Championships and the 2011 Arab Games, showcasing Doha’s experience in hosting world-class events.

The Doha 2019 Bid Committee believes that hosting the World Championships in the Middle East for the first time ever will represent an unparalleled opportunity to connect the world of athletics to an untapped market.

Doha, because of its central location, is a gateway to 450 million people across 22 countries and 60 per cent of these people are under the age of 30.

Athletics will be showcased to a new region and a new generation—new fans, new partners and new spectators that have not been exposed to this
level and scale of athletics competition before.

This huge population would 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.

“Doha is a city passionate about sport, but especially passionate about athletics. We have been hosting the Diamond League event for many years now, back when it was still called the IAAF Super Grand Prix.

“And with every year that we have hosted it, the event has become more and more successful, with athletics forming a deeper and deeper connection to our nation. The highest level of service is offered to the athletes, the staff, the media and the fans. This has been offered consistently and with excellent outcomes,” Dahlan al-Hamad, president of Qatar Athletics Federation, said.

“When we hosted the IAAF World Indoor Championships almost five years ago, the event saw the highest number of countries participating, and it was a resounding success. This is the kind of success that we are offering. Hosting the 2019 World Championships in Doha is a natural progression,” he added. “We are ready and we are passionate. We think the Championships will fit with the IAAF’s vision to boost athletics in the Middle East.

In its candidature file, Doha has asked for a window between end September and early October, in a bid to avoid the heat.

“The IAAF has accepted Doha’s proposal to shift the event to October (from the normal August window), so weather conditions shouldn’t be a stumbling block in their bid,” Coe said.

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