DOHA AND LONDON BATTLE FOR AWARD OF 2017 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS IN MONACO - By David Martin
Another strong lever is that the bi-annual Championships have never been staged in the middle east and this may earn significant support for them as the IAAF continues to expand its global influence.
DOHA AND LONDON BATTLE FOR AWARD OF 2017 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS IN MONACO ©London 2017
The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) will announce on Friday afternoon which is the successful city to host the 2017 World Championships.
Doha and London are the only two contestants and the IAAF Council will have to make their decision from what have been revealed as very strong bids from both organising committees.
There has been extensive final lobbying from both sides in the last few days with oil rich Doha revealing it intends paying the US$5 million prize money as part of its incentive to fetch the Championships to Qatar
.
Another strong lever is that the bi-annual Championships have never been staged in the middle east and this may earn significant support for them as the IAAF continues to expand its global influence.
With Qatar already the venue to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup and also bidding for the 2020 Olympic Games, its commitment to promoting sport cannot be challenged. Nor can its wealth in supporting sporting projects which already has included last year's IAAF World Indoor Championships.
Meanwhile London the host of next year's Olympic Games will be hoping the support of world class athletes worldwide and the guarantee of sell out crowds will work in its favour in finally fetching the event to the United Kingdom for the first time.
The climate in the British capital will certainly be preferable to the intensive heat and humidity of Doha but some IAAF council members have long memories and will not have forgotten it has failed to honour promises in the past, particularly to stage the 2005 World Championships.
However there is a real determination from its delegation and now having been assured by the UK government that the Olympic stadium will remain as an athletics track even when taken over by a football club, can point to a legacy for the sport which was made when the country won the right to host the 2012 Olympic Games in 2005.
David Martin
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