Dubai rejects 2013 World Swimming Championships hosting

Dubai has decided not to go ahead with hosting the 15th World Swimming Championships in 2013 after winning the rights to hold the event by governing body FINA last year.

FINA President of FINA (Federation Internationale de Natation) President Dr Julio C Maglione, said Dubai would still host the short course (25 metre) World Swimming Championships in December.

However, following talks with Mattar Al Tayer, Deputy Chairman of the Higher Organising Committee and Deputy Chairman of the Dubai Sports Council, FINA said Dubai would not now go ahead with its plans for the 2013 event.

FINA expressed its appreciation for "the tremendous amount of work" completed by the Dubai 2010 organising committee and the progress made in the construction of the Dubai Sports Complex, adding that the 2010 event in the emirate would be "a great success".

FINA added in a statement that by "mutual agreement, FINA and the Dubai authorities decided that Dubai would not go forward with the organisation of these championships."

The statement confirmed that Dubai "has opted to concentrate on developing grassroots interest in swimming rather than go forward with another championships for elite athletes in three years."

Al Tayer added â"our vision from the start was that hosting the 2010 World Championships would leave a legacy that would benefit residents in Dubai and throughout the UAE. Our goal after the championships is to encourage wider use of our new aquatic complex by the people who live here.

"We believe that, at this stage, it is of paramount importance to further improve the impact of the aquatic disciplines in this Middle East region before staging a FINA World Championships with our five sports."

Maglione added âthe UAE authorities will certainly do their best to accomplish this goal and the first step towards achieving it will be the organisation of a very successful FINA World Swimming Championships.

However, it is understood that the World swimming governing body is disappointed at having to find a new host for the event.

Withdrawing from hosting the World Swimming Championships may undermine the Emirateâs expected bid to host the 2020 Olympics.