Now Qatar line up an ambitious bid for the Olympics

QATAR EMBOLDENED BY WORLD CUP ‘SUCCESS’ AND SET TO BID FOR GAMES

THEY have netted the World Cup — now Qatar want the Olympics. Officials in the country feel emboldened at the halfway stage of the tournament and will focus on bringing the world’s athletes to the desert in 2036.

Plans are already in place to mirror the World Cup, with a likely date switch from the traditional Olympic summer to the autumn in an attempt to avoid searing temperatures.

A money-is-no-object bid could feature an airconditioned marathon route, with a five-mile stretch of land mechanically cooled in order to protect runners who would complete laps of the circuit.

Here in Doha it is thought Qatar’s Olympic Committee are now ready to again flex their financial muscle, having been buoyed by the World Cup experience so far.

They are confident the tiny, gasrich state has shown the vital ‘proof of concept’, in that it has displayed it is capable of hosting a large-scale sporting event and there have been sighs of relief that, despite plenty of negative publicity, there have been no major catastrophes.

Much of the infrastructure, including stadiums, transport and accommodation, is in place and would be retained and in some cases extended, although room would have to be made for thousands more athletes and millions of fans. The fact the Emir of Qatar is a member of the International Olympic Committee has added to the feeling that the Qataris are in a strong position. However, it remains to be seen if such a proposal would garner sufficient support, given the controversy surrounding the World Cup. There have been a number of wellpublicised issues, with fans stopped from entering grounds wearing rainbow-coloured items in what is a conservative Muslim state. Large numbers of Olympic athletes are from the LGBTQ community and they would be heading to a country where homosexuality is illegal. The situation with migrant workers, with unspecified numbers killed on building projects here, may also be a factor, along with uneasiness over the stadium alcohol ban — ushered in days before the competition was due to start.

There will be other, more unorthodox logistical challenges. Hosting a mountain bike competition in a country whose highest point is 338 feet above sea level will present a complex obstacle, as will ensuring athletes are kept cool.

However, these are not thought to be insurmountable. Most of the stadiums built for the World Cup feature air-conditioning and there are outdoor sections of the city surrounded by cooling devices. Although keeping a 26-mile stretch cold enough to stage a marathon would be impossible, there could well be a smaller air-conditioned route which could be navigated a number of times.

Other countries, notably India, Indonesia and Turkey, will also be interested and there may be a hurdle to overcome in IOC president Thomas Bach, although the decision may be made beyond his term, which is due to end in 2025.

Qatar has placed bids for four previous contests but there is now a feeling its offer is stronger than ever. Despite being a country of just 2.9million, of which only around 300,000 are locals, it is convinced it can host the event on its own.

A joint, ‘arms across the desert’ bid with neighbouring Saudi Arabia would only be considered as a last resort.

A number of Games have been pushed back, most notably Tokyo in 1964, which took place from October 10 to 24. The Seoul Games, in 1988, were from September 17 to October 2.

In late September 2019, Doha hosted the World Athletics Championships, with close to half of those participating in the women’s marathon, which took place on the Corniche, pulling out due to heat exhaustion.