The Qatar International Academy for Security Studies (QIASS) will organise a two-day conference on sports security on March 9-10 at Aspire, the chief organiser told a press conference yesterday.
Mohamed al-Hanzab briefing the media at W Hotel yesterday
The First International Sports Security Conference gathers key decision makers, experts and practitioners in sports integrity and security throughout the world and aims to improve information sharing and ensure best practices in sports security, QIASS president Mohamed al-Hanzab said.
HE the Minister of State for Internal Affairs Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani will deliver the opening address at the conference, which, al-Hanzab said, would be annual feature.
Among those attending are Lord John Stevens, former head of London’s Metropolitan Police, Ronald Noble, the secretary general of Interpol, William J. Bratton, former chief of the Los Angeles police Department (LAPD) and former police commissioner of Boston and New York City.
Athletics great Michael Johnson, who won four Olympics and eight world championship titles, and tennis legend Monica Seles, will also attend the conference where they will discuss their views on athletic performance, security issues and the dramatic consequences of security failure.
Other speakers include Helmut Spahn, head of security at the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany, Peter Ryan, head of security at the Sydney Olympics and Larry Buedenorf, chief security officer of the US Olympic Committee Asian Football Confederation president Mohamed bin Hammam and Rick Parry, former CEO of Liverpool Football Club, and several top administrators representing Qatari sports federations are also scheduled to attend.
The conference will be open to a specially invited audience of 150 who will hear the experts’s views on the latest trends and best practices in sports security, as well as recent success and failures. The need to enhance international co-operation in order to deter breaches in integrity (eg. match-fixing and doping) will be also discussed.
“Qatar is very excited about the event. Sports security is integral to the success of sporting events and we are determined to push the agenda and excellence of sports security further for the benefit of organisers, athletes and fans,” al-Hanzab said.
