Qatar eager to host the Summer Olympics

Despite two unsuccessful bids in the past, Doha has still not given up on its dream to host the Summer Olympics, Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) secretary-general Dr Thani al-Kuwari has said.

“We have a vision and a target, which is to host the Olympic Games one day,” Dr al-Kuwari told the media on the sidelines of the International Sports Press Association (AIPS) Congress at the Sheraton Hotel.

Doha first bid for the 2016 Games which was won by Rio de Janeiro and then the 2020 Games, which went to Tokyo.

Qatar let the deadline to bid for the 2024 event pass last September, which means Doha can now only hope to host the quadrennial sporting showpiece in 2028, or later.

Dr al-Kuwari said the infrastructure being developed for the IAAF World Championships in 2019, the FIFA World Cup in 2022 and the 2023 FINA World Swimming Championships means Qatar would have much of the facilities in place when it bids for the Games in the future.

Qatar has already started work on eight FIFA World Cup stadiums, and with the construction of the metro and several expressways in full swing, the infrastructure part of the Games would be well taken care of.

“All the stadiums and the facilities are going to be ready for everything, especially for the World Cup in 2022. These can be used for the Olympics.”

“Also, the logistics for those facilities are being completed, so why not? So we are hoping to have (the Olympics) one day, you never know, maybe in 2028.” 

Earlier in his address at the AIPS Congress, he said the Qatar Olympic Committee’s main objective was not just to organize sports competitions but to use these events for the overall development of the society.

Dr al-Kuwari lauded the progress of Qatar’s grassroots Olympic movement – the Schools Olympic Programme (SOP) – which has blazed a trail as far as children’s participation in sports is concerned.

“The Schools Olympic Programme is also a feather in Qatar’s cap because we were the first country to conceive and implement it. It has now grown by leaps and bounds and has earned us accolades from all over the world.” [Gulf Times]