Why Qatar needed the Olympics

24 May, 2012  Sport

There’s been a lot of talk about the Olympics. I was very excited at the thought of us getting it. Not only does Qatar have what’s considered to be unlimited cash to spend on such an event, but over 75% of the Olympic requirements were already met. We had a strong chance, sadly I didn’t expect that one of the main reasons we would be rejected was for weather alone. (That means that this part of the world will NEVER host the WORLD Olympics.). I’m interested in getting the Olympic report to see how Qatar scored. What could this have done for the country though?

It’s the fact that it would have brought further development and change that excited me. Although Qatar is already getting a lot of attention, having the Olympics would have made more focus on us. More attention is a good thing when it comes to change. It forces development.

Laws would have to change because people will start comparing rights of other companies with those received here in Qatar. The exit permit comes to my mind, the Human Rights Authority would be given more funds and higher responsibilities, there would have been even more construction in anticipation for the games (more commercial areas, better roads, speed up public transport solutions, etc..), plus it would have brought a huge amount of businesses interested in opening up and investing in Qatar.

Why do I personally want the games? I want to show the world the meaning of Arabic hospitality. I want to see foreigners come into Qatar and enjoy Qatari kindness. I want those who are corrupted to be exposed as a result of scrutiny, I want laws and regulations to be reformed and there to be more “open-ness” within the country, and I also want there to be a better perception of our culture. At the end of the day, Qatar’s Olympic motto was just right, the Doha 2020 Olympics would be ‘inspiring change’.

Noora Al Mannai, the chief executive of Doha 2020 brings up some great points. She said, “With so many sports venues already in place and budgeted for, we felt that we offered the IOC great certainty and a low cost Games plan as well as an exciting legacy vision, especially around developing women’s sport in the Middle East.

“However for Doha, it will always be a question of when not if.”

That’s the spirit!

  • tallg

    “sadly I didn’t expect that one of the main reasons we would be rejected was for weather alone. (That means that this part of the world will NEVER host the WORLD Olympics.). ”

    According to the IOC Working Group Report it was TV, not weather, that was the main problem with holding the games in October. It would clash with all the big US and European sports so viewing figures would be lower, hence they couldn’t sell the TV rights and advertising/sponsorship for as much.

    So despite having “unlimited cash to spend on such an event”, it was still money issues that caused the Qatar bid to fail.

  • amnesia

    The articles posted on various news sites pointed to the heat.

    http://www.aljazeera.com/sport/2012/05/20125243599470708.html

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=10808118

    http://www.freep.com/usatoday/article/55175488?odyssey=mod%7Cnewswell%7Ctext%7CSports%7Cs

    etc…I understand the TV rights issue though and that would make more sense as a reason.

  • tallg

    … and they also all point towards the tv rights.

    This one’s a bit more direct; 
    http://www.insidethegames.biz/olympics/summer-olympics/2020/17039-american-tv-executives-sink-doha-2020-olympic-bid

    It always boils down to money, even if some people are too afraid to say it out loud (criticising the IOC is never a good idea if you plan to host the Olympics one day :)

  • http://www.muhid.com/ Where my journey begins

    I would love to see Olympics in Qatar, it would be a dream to come trune

  • @Makks

    I don’t get why we need the Olympics when everything you mentioned above will happen due to Qatar hosting the World Cup. If anything this is reason not to host the Olympics now. It’s better to do the World Cup in 2022, and then get the Olympics for 2028 or 2032 to be the next level push to take Qatar even further and be a truly great nation. 

  • Oliver

    No country that makes homosexuality illegal should host any major sporting invents.

  • Oliver

    *events

Freedom of Expression

    Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which the Qatari Government is a signatory of states: Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any medias and regardless of any frontiers.

    The Emiri Decision Number 86 of the year 2007 on the establishment of the Doha Free Information Centre marked yet another step towards establishing a State of rights and freedom of speech. The decision stipulated that the Centre be a non-profit organization, headquartered in Doha City, and have the authority to establish other affiliated centres inside and outside Qatar. It is worth mentioning that His Highness the Emir issued a decision in 1998 annulling the ministry of information, giving birth to a new era of freedom of speech where censorship was removed from local media.