Qatar considering bid for 2030 Asian Games 7:15 pm | Published in: Middle East , News , Qatar Fans raise the Qatari flag during the 2018 FIFA World Cup Asian Qualifying group A football match between Qatar and South Korea at the Jassim Bin Hamad stadium in Doha, Qatar on 13 June, 2017 [Mohamed Farag/Anadolu Agency] 7:15 pm Qatar is considering a bid for the 2030 Asian Games but has not formally thrown its hat in the ring, a Qatar Olympic Association (QOC) official told Reuters on Monday.
The natural gas-rich Gulf state, with a population of just over 2.6 million, has used its financial clout to land some of the sporting world’s biggest events, including the athletics world championships currently underway in Doha and the 2022 football World Cup .
Doha hosted the 2006 Asian Games, which were widely considered a success, and used them as stepping stone to pursue bigger sporting prizes, including an unsuccessful bid for the 2016 Summer Olympics.
“Qatar is thinking about it, seriously thinking about it,” Hamad Al Obaidly, head of media and communications at QOC told Reuters . “Our people are ready and thinking about it but nothing has officially happened yet.
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“Doha is not yet an applicant city.”
Al Obaidly said a firmer decision would likely be made at the next International Olympic Committee (IOC) congress.
The next IOC session is scheduled for Jan. 10-11 next year.
Decisions by some of the world’s biggest sports to bring their showcase events to Qatar have often been clouded in scandal and controversy.
Allegations of bribery, corruption and human rights violations hung over the bids for both the 2022 World Cup and 2019 world athletics championships.
Qatar has demonstrated a huge appetite for hosting the world’s biggest sporting parties but its residents have shown little desire to actually attend them.
The athletics world championships have been heavily criticized for sparse attendance while the searing heat has forced the road events to be run at midnight to avoid the worst of the extreme conditions.
Despite the criticism, the QOC is set on continuing to increase Qatar’s sporting footprint.
“This falls under our belief about the importance of sports and gathering the world together for them, and it is part of our vision for the Qatar 2030 development strategy,” said Al Obaidly.
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