Dubai to host who's who in sport

DUBAI // The emirate's bid to host the 2020 Olympics has moved a step closer after it was announced Dubai will hold this year's SportAccord International Convention, an annual five-day exhibition that brings together leaders of more than 100 global sports federations and organisations. The convention will take place between April 25 and 30 and will attract more than 1,500 representatives from the sporting world, including Fifa president Sepp Blatter, International Rugby Board chairman Bernard Lapasset and Eduardo Paes, mayor of Rio de Janiero, Brazil, host city of the 2016 Olympics.

"This is a very significant event for the UAE and extremely important for the region," said Princess Haya bint al Hussein, wife of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. "If you look at the model we have here, we have top professionals and great facilities to host events, but in other countries in this region, we are still very nascent. This convention can help us move forward as a region. We need to write a legacy that starts at grass roots and grows internationally."

Princess Haya is also a member of the International Olympic Committee and Andrew Ryan, director of the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF) in Lausanne, Switzerland, says the importance of the convention coming to the UAE should not be under-estimated. Dubai won the right to host the convention after holding off competition from a host of other cities, including Singapore, Bangkok, Melbourne and Rio. The 2009 event took place in Denver, Colorado and next year's conference will be held in London.

"It is essential that we came here," said Ryan. "Dubai is becoming synonymous with major sports events and this will be the first time to have all organisations and Olympic federations in the region at the same time. "As we all know, many cities around the world have Olympic aspirations. This April, all the presidents and general secretaries of global Olympic sports will converge on Dubai and the city will have a chance to show them what it can do."

Ryan added that while the emirate has experience of hosting major events in the past, it should look to interact with a broader range of sports, such as weightlifting and archery. "Smaller sports that cost nothing in comparison, have trouble finding venues. By Dubai hosting a junior world championship, it gain experience of hosting major events," he said. @Email:[e-mail]