The soccer World Cup is not enough
Now Qatar wants the Summer Olympics too
2024 in Paris, 2028 in Los Angeles, 2032 in Brisbane – and 2036 in Doha? The desert state of Qatar is apparently already planning the next major event.
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The next big event in Qatar? The desert state is apparently planning an application for the 2036 Olympics.
Mathias Germannreporter sports
The football World Cup is in full swing. Those who can’t relate to the controversial tournament in Qatar even in the knockout phase should be strong now. Because: The desert state is obviously already planning the next major event.
As the Reuters news agency and the English newspaper Guardian report, the Qatari government wants to bring the 2036 Summer Olympics to Doha. That explains a source familiar with the application process.
Would the Olympic date also be postponed?
“The success of the World Cup so far puts Qatar in a strong position – they have shown they can do it. It’s proof of concept,” explains the source. It is not just the holding of the World Cup that is important – since the Asian Games in 2006 (they will also be held in 2030), Qatar has been convinced that it can hold top events. “The entire infrastructure is there – the stadiums, the subway, the new airport,” it says.
This raises the question: how should the summer games actually be staged in a country where temperatures can reach up to 50 degrees in the hottest season? Apparently you don’t want to postpone the major event to winter (like the soccer World Cup), but at least to autumn.
Extreme heat in outdoor competitions
The competitions in the stadiums would be less of a problem thanks to air conditioning, but all outdoor competitions would be. Because: Even in September and October it can be almost unbearably hot in Qatar. We remember: At the 2019 World Athletics Championships in the capital Doha, some marathon runners had to give up and give up because of the great heat.
Qatar had already tried to compete in the Olympics in 2016 and 2020, but did not make it onto the shortlist – Rio de Janeiro (Bra) and Tokyo (Jap) were awarded the contract. One option for Qatar is apparently a joint Olympic candidacy with Saudi Arabia. One thing is certain: the summer games will take place in Paris (Fri) in 2024, in Los Angeles (USA) in 2028 and in Brisbane (Aus) in 2032.