The Qatari capital, Doha, has been selected as host of
the 2019 world athletics championships, the
International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF)
announced on Tuesday.
Doha was chosen ahead of U.S. candidate Eugene,
Oregon and Spain’s entry, Barcelona at a IAAF meeting
in Monaco.
It is the first time in the history of the event that a
Middle Eastern country has been chosen as host.
“It’s a privilege and honor to have the trust of the IAAF,”
the leader of the Doha bid, Sheikh Saoud Bin
Abdulrahman Al Thani said in a statement released on
the IAAF website.
“I am very delighted that these championships are going
to be in the region for the first time.
“I’m confident that with the support of the IAAF we will
organize one of the best world championships,” he
added.
The first world athletic championships were held at
Helsinki in 1983 and have been held biennially since
1991.
Beijing’s “Bird’s Nest” stadium — host to the 2008
Olympic Games — is set to host the event next year and
will be followed by London in 2017.
“I (am) sure that in Doha we will have a wonderful
edition of the world championships,” said IAAF
President Lamine Diack, in a statement.
This is the second major world sporting event to be
awarded to Qatar in recent years. In 2010, FIFA selected
Qatar to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

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