Qatar to host 2028 Olympic Games after 2022 World Cup? That is the ‘vision and target’

A proposed view of the Lusail Iconic Stadium in Lusail City for the 2022 World Cup. The stadium and other facilities being built for the World Cup could also be used to host a future Olympic Games. Qatar 2022 World Cup / EPAShow less

Qatar has a “vision and target” of hosting a Summer Olympics and will bid to hold future games, a senior member of the Gulf country’s Olympics committee said.

Thani Al Kuwari added that the country would bid to host an Olympics, maybe as early as in 2028.

“The vision and the target is to host one of the Olympics, one day,” he said.

Asked if Qatar would bid in the future, he replied: “Of course.”

Kuwari pointed to the fact that Qatar is busy building facilities which could be used at an Olympics, for such events as the World Athletics Championships in 2019, the Fifa World Cup in 2022 and the 2023 Fina world swimming championships.

In addition, Qatar has in the past 12 months hosted a world handball championships and the paralympics athletics world championships.

“All the facilities are going to be ready for everything, especially after 2022, the facilities almost 99 per cent are ready,” he added. “Also, the logistics for those facilities are completed, so why not? So we are hoping to have one day, you never know, maybe 2028.”

One of the stadiums which will host World Cup games in 2022, the Khalifa International Stadium, will also be the site of the 2019 athletics in 2019.

Qatar previously unsuccessfully bid to host the 2020 Summer Olympics, which will be hosted in Japan. Doha was strongly expected to bid for the 2024 Games but in the end decided against running.

Kawari added that decision was taken because Qatar wanted to ensure “we are strong in every aspect” for when they do submit a bid.

If the Summer Olympics were to be awarded to Qatar, it will almost certainly reignite the debate on the desert country’s climate. When Qatar was awarded the World Cup, it was initially meant to host it in the summer months.

Despite pledges from Qatar that stadiums would be air-conditioned, Fifa, decided to switch the tournament to be played in November and December 2022.

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