And the above words of Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) President and Doha 2030 Bid Committee Chairman HE Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad al-Thani at the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) General Assembly meeting in Muscat only takes it a step ahead in the right direction.
Leaving a lasting legacy has been the driving force behind all Qatari projects, most notable among them the first Asian Games that the country hosted in 2006 and the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.
Qatar’s bid, which won 27-10, with 8 abstentions, for the 2030 Asian Games had many highlights.
Almost all of the world-class sporting infrastructure needed to host what are the second largest multi-sport event after the Summer Olympics is already in place.
Qatar has already hosted the Asian Games before and has used that experience to create a renaissance of sorts in hosting various other world championships and international competition across sports over the years, becoming a hub of sport.
Whether it is the 2019 IAAF World Athletics Championships, the 2015 World Handball Championships, the 2015 World Boxing Championships, or over 50-odd international events that Qatar has regularly hosted on an annual basis, Qatar have fine-tuned the operations, the infrastructure, the logistics, providing athletes a perfect platform to give their best.
In the face of challenges Qatar has come up with innovative and effective solutions. Whether it is the centrally-cooled venues or creating a bubble for continental level tournaments during a worldwide Covid-19 pandemic, like in the case of the AFC Champions League, Qatar has proven its mettle to provide effective and seamless solutions as hosts.
“Quite simply there is no limit to what Qataris can achieve,” Sheikh Joaan told his audience in Muscat.
“This bid is a result of the hard work by the people of Doha. It’s also the result of our dedication over the years to develop sport in Qatar and in the region. Athletes are our most important priority.”
As some of the biggest sporting events world over face budget issues, white elephants after the events, local governance problems, Qatar’s bid for the 21st edition of the Asian Games is a breath of fresh air.
As Sheikh Joaan pointed out, “The message of the Olympic Agenda 2020 is ‘Use what you have, where you have it and build as little as possible.’ We did that. We did not change our city to fit the Asian Games. We adapted the Games to fit our existing infrastructure.”
Qatar’s goal to bring the world closer through sport shone through its Generation Amazing programme for the 2022 World Cup and also its vow to ship modular seating from most of its new World Cup venues to countries that don’t have enough football venues.
The Bid Committee for the Asian Games took it forward when they offered the sports facilities in Doha to athletes from the participating countries in the coming years to help them develop and prepare for the continental games.
Project Legacy 21 will use investment legacy savings to create a programme, managed by the OCA, that provides financial investment and knowledge transfer for NOC development programmes. It will also facilitate knowledge sharing focused on elite sport development for NOCs and create tailored programmes for athletes to travel to and train at the multi-sport, state-of-the-art Aspire Academy. As part of Project Legacy 21, Doha 2030 will explore the opportunities of creating sub-regional training hubs across Asia that draw from the proven experience of Aspire and best practice in those regions to aid the development of elite sport.
Talking about the initiative, Sheikh Joaan had said: “The role that the Asian Games can play in inspiring hope and celebrating our continent’s diversity is more important now than ever than ever before. Through Project Legacy 21, we aim to leverage Doha’s unique position and deliver meaningful legacy benefits to all of Asia, starting from 2021.
“All Asian NOCs are facing challenges and as an OCA family we have a responsibility to offer help and support to one another. Our bid’s message is We All Belong and we believe strongly that when one NOC succeeds, we all succeed. That is why we are ready to share all our time, knowledge and infrastructure, with our Asian brothers and sisters to help them prepare their strongest ever teams for an Asian Games, overcome and build for a brighter future.”
Qatari delegation at the OCA General Assembly meeting in Muscat on Wednesday.