Falah, the falcon, unveiled as the official mascot of the 2019 IAAF World Championships

The 2019 IAAF Athletics World Championships is a few months away, and excitement for it is building in right earnest.

Qatar made track and field fans around the world happy by unveiling the official mascot of the competition during a ceremony on the sidelines of the National Sport Day yesterday.

The new mascot — Falah, the Falcom — was chosen after a nation-wide design competition. The mascot is an athletic falcon emblazoned in the Qatari flag’s maroon colour, reported the International Association of Athletics Federations' official website.

The mascot was unveiled at a special ceremony at the Qatar Foundation’s Awsaj Academy. It was attended by Qatar Olympic Committee President HE Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al-Thani and some current and future Qatari athletes.

Close to 500 students from different local and international schools in Doha attended the ceremony. They were a huge part of the launch ceremony.

The country is hoping that Falah will inspire  and ‘engage new young athletes across Qatar, the region and the world.’

Asian Athletics Association President Dahlan Al Hamad, who is also Vice Chairman and Director General of the Local Organising Committee, said he was looking forward to the event.

“Falah represents the pursuit of excellence and symbolises the importance of always giving your very best in everything you do. These are the values and ambitions of the LOC, as we look to deliver an event that inspires a new generation and welcomes fans from all corners of the world,” Al Hamad was quoted as saying by The Peninsula.

“As a falcon, Falah can fly freely into new horizons without boundaries, and that’s our approach shaping and supporting athletics of the future. We want to showcase this wonderful sport to new audiences and more people than ever before, and engage new young athletes across Qatar, the region and the world,” he added.

Al Hamad said everything was ‘on schedule’ for the championships, the first ever to be held in the Middle East, which will begin on September 28, according to Daily Nation.

Theodore Paul Manuel, a Filipino expat who has been living in Qatar for the last ten years, created Falah. He was rewarded with QR10,000 for his efforts.