HE the Second Vice-President of Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) and President of Qatar Athletics Federation (QAF) Dr Thani bin Abdulrahman al-Kuwari affirmed the full readiness to host the second round of the Diamond League 2021, which will be held at Suheim Bin Hamad Stadium in Qatar Sports Club on Friday.
In a statement on Tuesday, HE Dr al-Kuwari said that the Doha round will, as usual, witness a wide participation from world and Olympics champions through 13 competitions to either warm-up and/or qualify for the upcoming Olympic Games in Tokyo, scheduled from July 23 to August 8.
The QAF President expressed his happiness at hosting the Doha leg of the Diamond League series, which he described as a major global event watched by millions of people around the world, in light of these exceptional circumstances the world is going through due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Al-Kuwari emphasised the full readiness and ability of the local organising committee to make this championship a success.
He underlined that Doha is ready to host this global sporting event, and is able to fulfil this challenge through the great co-operation with the Ministry of Public Health and the responsible and relevant authorities in the country, as well as the full commitment to local and international requirements and the health protocol required to make this edition of the Diamond League a success in the best possible way. He noted that all participants will be subjected to the safe medical bubble system to keep everyone safe.
For his part, Deputy Director of the Tournament, Khalifa Abdul-Malik, said that all preparations are going well at Suheim Bin Hamad Stadium, stressing that the wide participation of international athletics champions confirms the reputation that the State of Qatar enjoys in this field, especially in light of the facilities which participants will find since their arrival at Hamad International Airport, along with the luxurious accommodations and world-class training facilities.
Abdul-Malik indicated that the Doha Round is an ideal opportunity for the national team to strengthen its presence in the Olympic Games in Tokyo by achieving the necessary qualifying scores.
Tournament manager and QAF Board Member Khalid Rashid al-Marri noted that the Qatari athletics team will participate in eight races and two competitions.
He noted that the Qatari team will participate in the high jump with world champion Mutaz Essa Barshim, and hammer throw with Ashraf Amjad al-Saifi.
Among the most prominent participations in the Doha round will be the participation of Kenyan runner Beatrice Chepkoech, the world champion in the 3000m hurdles and the world record holder, along with the American Emma Coburn and the German Gesa Felicitas Krause, who finished second and third respectively in the last World Championship held in Qatar in 2019.
Chepkoech has already enjoyed success this year, most notably when achieving a 5k (road) world record in Monaco (14:43) and an indoor personal best for 3000m (8:31.72), both in February. Her 3000m SC world record, also achieved in Monaco (2018), is an incredible 8:44.32.
Krause is the German national record holder in the 3000m SC courtesy of her World Championships bronze medal-winning performance in 2019 (9:03.30). She raced extensively throughout the 2021 indoor season and opened her outdoor season with a 2:05.76 800m in Germany on 21 May. She will compete in her first 3000m SC of the year in Doha as she prepares for her third Olympic Games this summer.
Chepkoech, who finished third over 3000m in the 2020 Wanda Doha Diamond League, said: “I’m looking forward to competing in Doha. It’s the place where I became World Champion. 2021 is a special year with the Olympics coming up and I would like to start my outdoor season in a nice way.”