Qatar will seek to host the
2032 Olympic Games, it said on Monday, joining a crowded field and raising
questions about scorching summer temperatures and underwhelming attendances at
past events.
India, Australia’s Queensland state, the Chinese city of Shanghai and a
potential joint bid between South and North Korea are also being touted for the
2032 summer games.
Under changes put forward in 2014, interested countries submit a request
to join the non-committal “continuous dialogue”, which Qatar confirmed to AFP it had done via a
letter to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in Lausanne.
“Today’s announcement marks the beginning of a meaningful dialogue with
the IOC’s Future Host Commission to explore our interest further and identify
how the Olympic Games can support Qatar’s
long-term development goals,” Qatar Olympic
Committee president Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani told AFP in a
statement.
Qatar unsuccessfully bid to
host the 2016 and 2020 games, having proposed to host the former in October
without first clearing it with the IOC.
It won a waiver to propose hosting the 2020 games, a joint bid with
Baku, Azerbaijan, between September 20 and October 20, but failed to make the
shortlist.
The 2020 games, postponed to 2021 because of the coronavirus pandemic,
were awarded to Japan, which also experiences searing summer temperatures,
leading officials to schedule events early in the morning when conditions are
coolest.
“Qatar has earned the
reputation of a world-class destination for major sporting events,” added
Sheikh Joaan, brother of Qatar’s ruler Emir
Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani.
“It is this proven track-record and wealth of experience, along with our
desire to use sport to promote peace and cultural exchange, that will form the
basis of our discussions with the Commission.”
Summer temperatures can reach 50 degrees celsius (122 degrees
Fahrenheit) in the nation which abuts the Arabian desert. Heat and humidity
were major issues during the road races at last year’s World Athletics
Championships held in Doha.
The event was shifted to late September and October over concerns about
the gas-rich state’s climate and marathons and race walks were held at
midnight.
Even so, humidity hovered around 73 percent and the temperature was 33
degrees Celsius (91 degrees Fahrenheit) for much of the women’s marathon and
images of the runners collapsing and gasping for air led to questions
over Qatar’s suitability to host outdoor
events outside the cooler winter months.
‘Huge interest’
Perhaps the most stinging off-track criticism of the 10-day World
Athletics event was sparked by the spectacle of a near-empty stadium during the opening days, raising fears
for World Cup attendances in 2022 and at other sporting events.
IAAF President Sebastian Coe said he was more worried about conditions
at the Tokyo Olympics, where summer temperatures
have pushed organisers to schedule events for the early morning.
Qatar will host the 2022 World
Cup after a bid process that has been attacked by some European nations and
media outlets as corrupt, although Doha insists it won fairly.
Discriminatory labour practices and human rights issues facing the
migrant labourers building infrastructure for 2022 have been subject to intense
scrutiny and criticism since Qatar won
the bid in 2010.
“We in the International Olympic Committee are happy with the huge
interest in the 2032 Summer Olympics, 12 years
before the launch of the games. We are in a great position,” IOC president
Thomas Bach said in an interview with Qatar-based
broadcaster BeIN on Friday.
“We made sure that our new approach to this kind of intentions works
well. We launched a dialogue between the interested national Olympic committees
and a special commission in the IOC. Naturally, we welcome Qatar to join this dialogue.”
If Qatar were successful, it
would be the first time the event had been held in the Middle East.
