Qatar to host 2014 Swimming World Champs
Yet another major sporting event is heading Qatar's way. They will host the 2014 edition of the FINA Swimming World Championship, at the Hamad Aquatic Centre, in December 2014.
Way to go, Qatar. Never stop dreaming of bigger sporting events!
http://www.dohastadiumplusqatar.com/doha-host-14-fina-worlds/
Greeker, welcome back!
Mandi
Your name and your dislike for water doesn't gel, :-)
And on the expatriate issue, I concede your point. Just read as ' a large crowd.' There were a sprinkling of Qatari fans as well, a few whom I personally knew. But swimming is indeed a growing sport and you'll see more local crowd appearing for such events in the future.
Mark my words on that! It's not going to be a total disaster scenario like the one in the football match you mentioned!
I don't remember her, brit. I was never too fond of swimming competitions. Most of the time they are under water!
She was all woman. The others were just jealous :o(
Greeker, it was YOU who said:"a huge expatriate crowd are always at hand.."
And possibly they are shuffled there from the Industrial area.
BE, is that the one who was disqualified for being a man?
Mandi
I gave up watching swimming when Kornelia Ender retired from the East German team :O(
I'm sure LP remembers her ... Hubba Hubba
Is thobes the only way to recognise a Qatari? How can you be cent per cent sure that there weren't Qataris in the crowd who were not wearing their traditional dress? I know for a fact that the Swimming Federation is VERY VERY active in developing grassroot sport. They've a roaring talent development programme going on involving hundreds of kids. And not all of them are expatriate kids.
It is not necessary that Qataris should come in traditional dresses to be counted. I for one believe that they're the right people to organise such an event. It WILL indeed be a big boost to the sport in the country.
And jealousy never ceases . . .
“We’re delighted with this decision which fits well with our commitment to FINA’s global events programme and the development of Swimming in Qatar. This is a real boost to our plans for the sport and also a great platform to further develop swimming in the region,” said Qatar Swimming Association President Khaleel Al Jabir."
You miss the point, Greeker.
"a huge expatriate crowd are always at hand".
What part of the region are the expatriates? Aren't we here to make money, and aren't we kicked out when we aren't needed anymore? At least that is what we can read here on QL sometimes. So, an expatriate crowd is not what can be considered a development of swimming in the region!!
How many thobes were there three years ago?
http://www.qatarliving.com/node/428690
Someone named Wanderer had written about it. Might be useful to recap!
Maybe you should have been here (at the venue) for the FINA Diving World Series three years ago. Your perception would have changed completely about swimming events.
For one, the swimming arena is much smaller than those for football. Two, a huge expatriate crowd are always at hand to see stars up close in action. Three, the ambience is completely different. Again, you should have been there to believe it.
Personally, I feel comparing a football match with a swimming world championship is akin to comparing chalk and cheese. My two cents.
(I'm saying because I've been to numerous football matches in Qatar and was also at the FINA Diving World Series. Hence, I CAN compare the two).
Like I said, my two cents.
LP happy Babu happy :)
Okay, Babu? Happy now?
I hope it won't end like this:
"“I WANT to celebrate my goals with spectators, but every time I score and turn to the galleries, I realise with dismay that crowd is virtually non-existent here. In some cases, there’re a handful of fans, but again most of them are paid gentlemen, who make their living by cheering and chanting for teams. Their activities quite often don’t synchronise with our celebrations,” a leading Brazilian player featuring in the Qatar Stars League (QSL) gave vent to his feelings."
This is about football, the most POPULAR sports in Qatar. Now, what do you expect for swimming?
Source: http://www.dohastadiumplusqatar.com/qslm-sweats-stars-play-empty-galleries/
lol Prism
Will there be a restriction on the kind of audience who can witness this event keeping in view the dress code of the swimmers!!!
Wonderful news!
waiting for LP's wonderful comment