Doha to provide a 'new frontier' for world sport

Qatar will present a "new frontier" in world sport if the 2017 World Athletics Championships are awarded to Doha, according to Qatar bid committee President Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman Al Thani.

Qatar is competing with London for the right to stage the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) event, but Sheikh Saoud insisted that Doha already has the infrastructure in place to stage the Championships. Doha, which held the 2006 Asian Games and the 2010 IAAF World Indoor Championships, is also bidding for the 2020 Summer Olympics.

Speaking over the weekend, Sheikh Saoud told reporters "we are confident about our bid winning the race to host the 2017 Championships.

"Doha is committed to host one of the best ever World Championships in 2017. We have successfully hosted the World Indoor Championships and enjoy a strong bond with the IAAF. Qatar could be a new frontier in world sport if Doha wins the bid."

Sheikh Saoud said the Khalifa Stadium would be climate-controlled using solar energy for the event, which would take place in the middle of September, while the marathon would be scheduled for the evening. He added that hosting the World Championships would "give added value" to Qatar's bid to host the 2020 Olympics.

Qatar Athletics Federation (QAF) President Abdulla Ahmed Al-Zaini went on to tell Gulf News "we have huge experience in hosting major events and can deliver one of the most well attended IAAF competitions in history. We are already drawing up plans to attract huge crowds.

"We will come up with different types of tickets to cater to different sections of society."

The head of the QAF also revealed that the organising committee would form a partnership with Qatar Airways "to provide passengers with special offers and promotions" if the bid is successful.

The IAAF will announce the successful host city in Monaco on 11th November.

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