SHARM EL SHEIKH, Egypt: The Organising Committee of the UCI Road World Championships-Doha 2016 participated with a promotional booth at this week’s Arab Cycling Championships in Sharm El Sheikh.
The booth - which was erected at the start and finish lines of the Arab Cycling Championships - drew wide-ranging attention from those associated with the event.
The Organising Committee members distributed promotional printed material and giveaways. Another booth was held at the Technical Presentation in Sharm El Sheikh’s Convention Centre.
Sheikh Khalid bin Ali Al Thani, Organising Committee Chairman, UCI Road World Championships Doha 2016, headed the Qatari delegation at the premier Arab cycling event where the Doha event was promoted and discussed in detail among fans and athletes.
During their Richmond visit, Sheikh Khalid headed the 2016 team at the Doha Briefing attended by cycling officials and fans where a special documentary titled ‘Marhaba’ on Qatar’s sports profile was played out. More than 450 representatives from UCI, Richmond city, international federations and journalists from all over the world featured at the event.
The evening was opened by Richmond Mayor Dwight Jones who welcomed Sheikh Khalid and his Doha 2016 delegation. In his welcome speech Sheikh Khalid laid special emphasis on Qatar’s 2030 Vision, detailing the finer points of the country’s rapidly developing sports infrastructure and Doha’s rising reputation as a sports hub of the entire region.
The Road World Championships is cycling’s pinnacle event, held annually in an international city chosen by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) through a competitive bidding process similar to the Olympic Games. Doha won the 2016 bid in 2012.
The October 9-16 event will bring together dozens of teams and thousands of cycling fans to the Qatari capital.
The event consists of a road race, a team time-trial and a time-trial for elite men and women and a road race and time-trial for men under-23, junior men and junior women.
It’s also worth mentioning that the championship will make its debut in the Middle East.
As Qatar will be the second country in Asia after Japan to host the UCI Road World Championships.
The Qatari delegation promoted Championships during the opening ceremony, by distributing promotional giveaways and brochures that covered the extensively massive preparations being carried by Qatar to make the Championships a unique and exceptional event.
Sheikh Khalid had several press interviews with radio and TV station in which he spoke about the latest preparations and facilities for this historic event.
“Our strategy in Qatar is based on hosting many international and regional sports events in which we aspire to make Qatar an international sports hub, Accordingly we were honoured to organise the UCI Road World Championships Doha 2016. We aim by hosting this championships to make sport a lifestyle by creating a productive generation able to hoist Qatar’s name higher at several sport and coronation podiums,” said Sheikh Khalid.
He also added that the organizing committee will invite the best riders from 75 countries to compete in the Championships, which will starts on October 15, 2016 under the title “the race starts here!”
On another note, Sheikh Faisal Al Qasimi, Chairman of Arab Cycling Union said championships will help the sports in region.
“Hosting the championships for the first time in an Arab country is considered a great gain for cycling sport, as it will revitalise and broaden participation in this major event and will help our athletes in the Arab world to strongly present in such international competitions.
Dr Wageeeh Azzam, President of Egyptian Cycling Federation was delighted that the Championships will be held in Doha.
“UCI Road World Championships, Doha 2016 is a pleasant historic cycling event that we’ve been supporting for 4 years.”
He urged all Arab countries to be a part of it and prepare both male and female cyclists of all ages to participate in the competition. He also stressed on Qatar’s ability to organize a world-Class event.
The Doha 2016 organising Committee has been vigorously promoting next year’s UCI World Championships set to be held in the Qatari capital from October 9-16.
The Doha team was in Japan Last week to promote the UCI Road World Championships, Doha 2016.
Also, a couple of weeks before Doha 2016 kicked-off a one-year countdown to the 2016 UCI Road World Championships, a massive promotional event in Richmond was planned last month and attracted thousands of cycling enthusiasts during the 2015 UCI Road World Championships held in Richmond, United States.
The Peninsula
