Sergey Bubka, IAAF vice-president, said Qatar’s win of the right to host the 2019 World Championships was no surprise at all, despite fierce competition from other countries, because Qatar presented a comprehensive and complete bid, and because it has previous experience hosting major championships from the World Indoor Championships to the Diamond League and the Asian Games, among others. He said what was achieved was a further success for Qatar, and he expected great success from this hosting. Speaking about the development strategy seminar, in his capacity as chairman of the IAAF’s development committee, he said: “I am extremely pleased at this large turnout of Arab federation presidents for this seminar, as it is evidence of the great interest athletics enjoys in these countries. I hope every participant achieves the benefit they need, and I myself am taking part like everyone else, because there is benefit for everyone here, and achieving the desired goal.”
On the future of Arab athletics, from his personal view, Bubka said Arab athletics has achieved a great deal of success in recent years and now has some of the finest champions and organises some of the strongest championships, in countries such as Qatar, Morocco, Algeria and others, and that he sees a bright future ahead for Arab athletics, keeping pace strongly with world athletics.
