After the World Cup earned Qatar each plaudits and censure, the energy-rich Gulf state is now beginning a marathon to safe the 2036 Olympics and a spot as a pillar of world sport. At the same time as Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo scored objectives and shed tears in Qatar’s multi-billion-dollar stadiums, its sports activities directors have been reserving new victories off the pitch. In the course of the event, Qatar was awarded the 2025 world desk tennis championships and the opening race of the world endurance championship in 2024, including to its packed sports activities calendar.
Formulation One returns in 2023, and a significant renovation of Qatar’s race monitor went forward through the World Cup shutdown. Qatar additionally stepped in when China withdrew from holding the 2023 Asian Cup soccer and is to stage the world swimming championships in 2024.
Its beIn Sports activities channel with its rising viewership and rights portfolio solely provides to Qatar’s sports activities muscle. Internet hosting occasions is “a really highly effective game-changing software”, mentioned Michael Payne, a former head of promoting for the Worldwide Olympic Committee.
Qatar is ploughing forward with its sporting ambitions regardless of criticism of its rights document – notably the remedy of international staff who constructed the stadiums and energy the financial system of one of many world’s richest international locations. FIFA president Gianni Infantino repeatedly mentioned Qatar was internet hosting the “finest ever” World Cup, and different federations have additionally welcomed Qatar’s largesse.
An official with the Worldwide Desk Tennis Federation mentioned “Qatar stepped in to assist organise occasions when Covid devastated the calendar, and its amenities are all in place”.
Qatar gained an amazing majority within the ITTF vote towards Spain for the 2025 championships.
‘Personal objectives’
The 2036 Olympics – which won’t be awarded earlier than 2025 – is the following large prize. The emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, is an IOC member and Qatar has already bid for the 2016, 2020 and 2032 Video games.
Some analysts say its World Cup document will depend towards Qatar within the Olympic bid. Altering the date of the opening match three months from the beginning of the World Cup and banning beer round stadiums two days from the beginning have been “errors”, mentioned Jean-Loup Chappelet, an Olympic motion specialist on the College of Lausanne.
“The Worldwide Olympic Committee needed none of it (for 2032) and I feel that after the World Cup it will likely be precisely the identical,” added Chappelet.
Veteran advertising and marketing specialist Payne additionally mentioned Qatar and FIFA had scored “personal objectives”, however added that these had been shortly forgotten. The IOC has a declared coverage of rotating the Video games, and the Olympics have by no means been held within the Center East.
However the scorching summer season temperatures of as much as 50 levels Celsius (122 Fahrenheit) imply the IOC must swap the Video games to the winter months. Qatar might face competitors from Saudi Arabia and Turkey, which has beforehand bid 5 occasions.
The Saudis have been a part of a Gulf blockade of Qatar from 2017 to 2021. Ties have since been restored, and Qatar has highlighted the Arab fervour proven on the World Cup to say its success. The Saudis pulled off a shock win over Argentina, and Morocco reached the semi-finals.
“It stays to see how lengthy the Arab unity and revitalisation of the FIFA World Cup 2022 will final after the ultimate whistle,” mentioned Danyel Reiche, an affiliate professor at Georgetown College in Qatar who’s main a World Cup challenge. Reiche mentioned sport ought to turn into “a software for peace-building”.
Qatar and Saudi Arabia ought to launch a joint Olympic bid, copying the co-hosting of the following World Cup in the US, Mexico and Canada and different large occasions, Reiche mentioned.
“Co-hosting sporting occasions with different Center East international locations would add to Qatar’s picture of being world citizen that has, for instance, mediated in main conflicts,” mentioned Reiche.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV workers and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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