File photo of the ongoing championship at Khalifa Stadium. Pic: Abdul Basit / The Peninsula
Doha: A number of foreign correspondents present in Doha to cover the IAAF World Athletics Championships 2019 praised on Thursday Qatar’s organisation of the event and reserved special praise for Khalifa International Stadium.
L’Equipe’s journalist told Qatar News Agency that the effort made by the organising committee was clear, expressing his admiration of Khalifa International Stadium and its cooling technology. He also said that it was healthy for other countries from all around the world to host the competition, as it should not be monopolized by major European companies.
For his part, Kenya’s Daily National reporter praised the organization of the event and said that all aspects of it are going well so far. He noted that the media center especially was well equipped for reporters to do their jobs. He praised also the intensity of the competition so far.
On World Cup 2022, he expressed his belief that Qatar will host a wonderful edition. He highlighted that World Cups are a completely different affair to athletics. He praised Qatar’s modern infrastructure and said he would gladly come back to cover the World Cup in three years’ time.
SOJC Track’s Alex Castell praised the organization of the competition and Khalifa International Stadium. He noted that despite the heat and humidity, the weather inside the stadium was good thanks to the technology.
Veteran German journalist Ewald Walker who writes for Leichtathletik, which specializes in athletics, expressed his delight to be in Doha to cover the event. He stressed that the organization of the event is going as well as it could be. He said that he covered four different World Athletics Championships, but highlighted that this one is completely different because it is organized in the Middle-East. He highlighted that the level of competition among athletes has been high so far and expressed hope that it may continue this way.
He noted that the level of organization was superior, especially inside the stadium. He acknowledged that there were some challenges facing the marathon due to the weather which may not be suitable for all participants. He maintained however that this fact does not mean that the hard effort made by the organizers is clear to see. He also said that the IAAF should consider organizing the event as an independent race in the future.
He also said that there were many special moments in this year’s event, such as organizing the 4*400 relay for the first time ever. He added that the introduction of the players for the event was truly memorable.
On the level of services provided by the organizing committee to journalists, Walker said that he found it very useful. He also said that the availability of transport makes it easier for journalists to cover the events.
On Qatar’s ability to host the World Cup 2022 for the first time in the Middle-East’s history, he said that it was evident from now that the country can do that. He highlighted that the capabilities inside the stadium and outside it, in addition to the friendliness of the Qatari people will enhance the ability of the country to host a memorable event.
