Fahad Fadol al-Yafei, Head of the Venue Committee at Qatar 2015 (left), Abdulrahman Abdullah al-Malki, Project Manager of Ali Bin Hamad Al Attiya Arena, Director of Engineering Projects at Qatar Olympic Committee (right) and Khalid al-Mohannadi, Project Manager of Lusail Multipurpose Hall, Assistant Secretary General – Technical Support at Qatar Olympic Committee.
By Sports Reporter/Doha
The Venue Committee of Qatar 2015 has announced the successful completion and delivery of all three stadia for the 24th Men’s Handball World Championship.
Fahad Fadol al-Yafei, Head of the Venue Committee at Qatar 2015; Abdulrahman Abdullah al-Malki, Project Manager of Ali Bin Hamad Al Attiya Arena, Director of Engineering Projects at Qatar Olympic Committee; and Khalid al-Mohannadi, Project Manager of Lusail Multipurpose Hall, Assistant Secretary General – Technical Support at Qatar Olympic Committee, detailed the steps taken to ensure the successful completion of the three major venues, thanking the consultants, contractors, engineering bureaus and government authorities that have helped deliver them on time with zero-injury.
The Duhail Handball Sports Hall was the first stadium to be completed and was successfully tested with the IHF Super Globe Championship 2014 in September that year. The stadium can accommodate 5,500 spectators and has been built to be a world-standard training hub for handball. It includes 60 hotel rooms to host training camps and has two training halls in addition to a swimming pool along with a medical centre. It is currently being used as the headquarters of the Qatar Handball Association.
Fahad Fadol al-Yafei, Head of the Venue Committee at Qatar 2015 said: “All three stadia are world-class, environmentally-friendly venues that can host sports and world-class entertainment events. Each of them are full-service facilities with provisions for people with special needs. These impressive venues will make a contribution to realising the Qatar National Vision 2030 through two of its main pillars of economic and human development. We are very proud for the opportunity to make an active contribution towards the positioning of Qatar as a global sporting hub.”
The second venue, the Ali Bin Hamad Al Attiya Arena in Al Sadd was conceptualised in 2011, construction commenced in the first quarter of 2013 and was completed by October 2014. The multipurpose arena can host volleyball, basketball, hockey and even ice-hockey as the ring can be transformed in 48 hours. With a capacity of 7,700 spectators, it includes six changing rooms for players, medical services for players, as well as spectators, lounges for media and VIPs. The Ali Bin Hamad Al Attiya Arena is the first sports project in Qatar to be awarded the 4-star GSAS rating. It received strong feedback from visiting dignitaries and industry figures during the 17th Asian Club League, which was hosted there as a test event in November 2014.
Abdulrahman Abdullah al-Malki said: “As an engineer, I am extremely proud of this stadium and the Asian Club League gave us an excellent opportunity to test the venue. The feedback from committees and handball officials has been positive; we are proud of the results. The design and planning has been meticulous. We are thrilled about delivering the venues that conserve energy and minimise the overall carbon footprint.”
Lusail Multipurpose Hall is set to be able to host 15,300 spectators with eight external entrances and a series of entrances internally that are spread across the north and south of the venue for spectators. In addition to the main hall, the stadium is also equipped with training halls, players’ facilities, VVIP viewing areas and lounges. It has currently received a 3-star GSAS rating but is soon to achieve a 4th following on-going upgrades and the most recent inspections of the venue.
Khalid al-Mohannadi said: “The Lusail project was one of our biggest challenges because it is one of the largest venues. However, we were able to complete it in time record because of the collaborative efforts between the teams. The stadium required 31 million working hours with labourers; working two shifts, 24 hours a day. We had up to 13,000 people per shift at the stadium. We were able to complete everything with zero-injuries and in full compliance with the labour laws of Qatar. We are grateful to the people who helped us achieve the building of the architectural marvel.”
The 24th Men’s Handball World Championship will be the first event of its kind to be hosted in a single city and the first to be held in the GCC. Tickets are now available, so everyone can be a part of the live handball action that begins with the Opening Ceremony and the opening match between Qatar and Brazil on the 15th of January. The event will run until the Grand Final on 1 February 2015.
