Qatar Gymnastics Federation president Ali al-Hitmi has said that Qatar’s hosting of the Artistic Gymnastics World Championships Doha 2018 from October 25 to November 3 is a strong message to those who want to stop the country’s pioneering march in the region.
Speaking exclusively to Qatar News Agency (QNA), al-Hitmi said that the unprecedented participation in the tournament, which is being organised for the first time in the Middle East, and will see more than 700 athletes representing 83 countries, confirms the full confidence and support of the world in Qatar as sports capital because of its long-standing reputation in organising and hosting major sporting events and because of the security and safety it provides.
The World Gymnastics Championships will be the first stop that will keep the world’s eyes on us before returning again when Doha will host the 2019 IAAF World Championships, the 2022 World Cup and the 2023 World Swimming Championships, said al-Hitmi, also the Executive Director and Tournament Manager of the 2018 Gymnastics World Championships.
He explained that the sports world put its full confidence in Qatar because “we have the infrastructure needed at the highest level, stadiums and modern facilities”. 
He added that the infrastructure being provided for world gymnastics championships in Doha would be of a global configuration and also show the country’s readiness if it hosts the Olympic Games in the future.
On the Qatari team’s participation in the tournament, al-Hitmi confirmed that the Qatar team of Ahmad Nabil and Ahmed al-Deyani will compete with the world champions in all six men’s apparatus events. 
Qatari gymnast Jana Elkiky will compete in the floor exercises and pommel in apparatus for women.
He said that the Qatar players will certainly gain experience through the world championships.
Besides players, there will be Qatari participation as arbiters in the tournament being represented by referee Mahmoud al-Saad and Abeer al-Buainain.
A delegation representing the directors of the technical committees of the international federation will be present in Doha on October 15 and 16 to make sure of the readiness before the start of the tournament.
Al-Hitmi thanked the sports officials in the country and HE Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad al-Thani, the President of the Qatar Olympic Committee and Chairman of the Organising Committee of the championship.
He also thanked the officials of the Ministry of Culture and Sports for their efforts with the Organising Committee and everyone concerned with the success of the World Championship in Qatar.