|
The Gulf Arab state's Olympic committee said it
submitted a request to the International Olympic Committee (IOC)
to join the phase of "continuous dialogue" about hosting a
future Games.
Oil-rich Qatar is increasingly keen to host major sporting
events, and has already welcomed world athletics championships,
though scorching desert temperatures during parts of the year
have caused some anxiety in the sports world.
"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," Qatar Olympic Committee President Sheikh Joaan bin
Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani said in a statement.
The Olympics have never been hosted in the Middle East, and
Qatar will be the first nation in the region to host soccer's
biggest showpiece.
It has invested billions of dollars in preparing for the 2022
soccer World Cup. However, human rights groups have criticised
the treatment of migrant workers.
The Qatari government has said it does not tolerate unscrupulous
treatment of workers.
Qatar's Doha had also unsuccessfully bid for the 2016 and 2020
Olympics.
"The IOC... welcomes the interest recently expressed by Qatar,
which is the latest country to enter the new dialogue phase,"
the International Olympic Committee said in a statement.
The IOC has changed the bidding process in recent years to
reduce costs and make it more attractive to interested cities,
who now enter into an initial discussion with the IOC to see
whether the Olympics would be a fit for them.
"These are ongoing, non-committal discussions that are not
necessarily related to a specific edition of the Olympic Games
or the Youth Olympic Games, and are an opportunity to explore a
project without committing extensive time and resources," the
IOC said.
There is no deadline for a decision to be made, though usually
cities are given at least seven years in advance to prepare for
hosting the Games.
Several other countries have expressed an interest for the 2032
summer Olympics including Indonesia, Australia, India and
Germany, among others.
(Reporting by Alexander Cornwell; Additional reporting by
Karolos Grohmann; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne and Christian
Radnedge)
[© 2020 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2020 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content.
 |
|
