IOC needs to think again about Gulf Olympic bids
- Published: 08 June 2008 15:25 GMT
- Author: Edmund O'Sullivan
- More by this Author
- Last Updated: 09 June 2008 13:40
- Reader Responses
Qatar is rightly confused by the International Olympic Committee's (IOC's) startling decision to exclude it from the 2016 summer Olympics shortlist.
Doha scored highly on its ability to deliver the event and finance it. But it appears the IOC decided they want the games to be held in August not October which was Qatar's proposal.
Qatar has reasonably reacted by wondering why the IOC entertained a full bid for the games when the weather was going to be used against it. This is something that cannot be remedied and suggests that the IOC has decided forever against allowing a Gulf state, or that matter any state with hot summers, to host the Olympics. So it is not an event for the whole world after all. Just for those with nice temperate Augusts.
The deficiencies of the IOC's position are so glaring that it cannot stand for long. Since the IOC has long sacrificed pure principle at the altar of profit, the GCC surely is well positioned in due course to secure the games. It would be better for the IOC to start thinking again about this issue sooner rather than later.
But the IOC's loss will be the FIFA's gain. The world football body welcomes Gulf involvement. Emirates, the international airline of Dubai, is one of the sponsors for all FIFA events to 2014, including two more World Cup finals. In May, FIFA announced that the UAE had been named as host of the FIFA Club World Cup in 2009 and 2010.
Other sports are following FIFA's lead. The International Rugby Board Sevens World Cup is being held in March 2009. On 7 June, the International Cricket Council (ICC) announced the Gulf may host the first cricket world club championship. The English Premier League has announced it still plans to hold a series of additional games in different parts of the world. It is almost certain that at least one of these will be held in the Gulf.
The fact is that no place on earth is investing more in sports facilities of every kind than the oil-exporting nations of the GCC. This is a reflection of their commitment to health education and youth development. It is also at least partly due to their desire to secure the prestige associated with popular world sports like football.
Content owners like Formula-1, which has already approved two GCC races, were ahead of the rest in recognising that the centre of gravity of world sport is shifting to the Middle East and will continue to do so for at least a generation. But the region is yet to secure a blue-ribbon event like the Olympics or the World Cup which it would dearly love to host.
Some say this is a magnificent obsession that will never be consummated. But there is no sign that Qatar or other Gulf states are yet ready to abandon a dream that they firmly believe should be within their grasp.
