Doha 2020 bid team unveils October Olympic Games plan

The bid team behind the Qatari capital of Doha's attempts to bring the 2020 Olympics to the Middle East has revealed it plans to stage the Games from 2nd to 18th October if it wins the right to host the event.

The proposed dates were announced on Monday as bid leaders released details of the file that was submitted to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) last week.

An October Olympics would be followed by the Paralympic Games from 4th to 15th November, with Doha 2020 stating the dates would "ensure ideal conditions for athletes and spectators."

The bid committee's plans come as Qatar continues to battle with the logistical challenges of staging the 2022 FIFA World Cup with the organising committee for that event still committed to using cooling technology to negate the intense summer heat in the Arab state. However, there have been calls for the event to switch from its traditional summer spot in the calendar to a winter date.

In other news from the unveiling, Doha 2020 announced that it plans to host one of the most accessible, ' fan friendly' Games in modern history, with a focus on utilising existing and planned sports venues in five ' sports zones'. The plans outline that 91% of sports venues will be already built or planned and budgeted for as part of the Qatar National Vision 2030 scheme. This will mean that there will be no need for any new, permanent sports venues, or Games-related infrastructure investment, ensuring only minimal additional spending would be required to stage the 2020 Games.

Average travel times for all athletes and media from the Games Centre would be no more than 21 minutes to every single competition venue. Bid leaders stated that this would become even faster with planned transport improvements, including Doha's new US$21 billion metro system that would link to 78% of all sports venues. Meanwhile Doha 2020's Olympic vision foresees the opening and closing ceremonies taking place at the new Lusail National Stadium, the venue for the opening match and final of the 2022 World Cup. Doha's Khalifa Stadium is to be upgraded to a 60,000 capacity dedicated athletics stadium.

Qatar Olympic Committee General Secretary and Doha 2020 Vice-Chairman H.E. Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani explained "this is a bid which offers a great opportunity not only for Qatar and the Middle East, but the entire Olympic Movement. We are presenting a Games plan that dovetails perfectly with the significant investment Qatar is already making in sports facilities and essential infrastructure over the next few years as part of the country's National Vision 2030. Our focus on utilising existing venues and those already planned and budged for means that we can have certainty in delivering an accessible and low-cost Games in 2020 if we are granted this honour."

Rome's exit from the race for the 2020 Games means that Doha will face competition from Tokyo, Baku, Istanbul and Madrid for the right to stage the Olympics, with the IOC due to vote on the host city in September 2013.

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