NEWS - Qatar Olympic Committee

Q2.09.NEWS
Q5.09.NEWS
SHARING THE
EXPERIENCE
said Melanie Beck, the FINA Diving World
Series 2009 Director.
“Doha has delivered to the athletes an
extremely comfortable and well-organised
event. I hope other major international
sporting organisations will look at this
competition and how it’s been approached
and organised.
Above: Chinese divers take the
top two podium position after
the men’s 3m springboard event.
Left: China’s Qin Kai and Wang
Feng compete in the men’s 3m
springboard synchronised event
“We hope to be back next year and
see this as an annual event on the FINA
calendar.”
From Doha, the divers traveled on to
Changzhou, China in late March before
the final two stops of the World Series in
Sheffield, Great Britain and Mexico City,
Mexico in April.
Doha’s hosting of the 15th Asian Games
in 2006 represents the benchmark of
success for organisers of the 2010 Asian
Games in Guangzhou, China, according
to a leading official from the local
organising committee (GAGOC).
On a recent visit to Doha, Yu
Xiaobo, Assistant Secretary General of
the Chinese Olympic Committee and
GAGOC Managing Director said that
Guangzhou aspired to repeat the success
of Doha 2006, which is widely regarded
as the ‘best ever’ Asian Games.
The GAGOC delegation arrived in
Doha, March 18, on a liaison mission
with the QOC and to launch ‘Road
of Asia’, a promotional project for the
Games. “Qatar and China have enjoyed
a dynamic relationship over the years
and our visit to Doha is to strengthen it
further,” Xiaobo said.
Looking forward, he stressed that
GAGOC had planned meticulously
for the Games and, for this reason, was
unconcerned by the fallout from the
world economic slowdown.
“I am proud to
say that we have
already signed
23 companies as
sponsors and we
have strategies in
place to ensure costs
don’t spiral out of
control,” he said.
“After last year’s successful Olympic
Games, we are very confident that
Guangzhou 2010 will continue in that
nature and confirm China’s strong
sporting place in the world.”
Xiaobo also expects next year’s Games
to be even bigger than the edition staged
by Doha in December 2006.
“We will see athletes compete at a
number of new disciplines, including
cricket, dance sport, dragon boat and
roller-skating," he said.
“Guangzhou will use 56 different
sports venues for the Games, one of
which will be specially-prepared for the
two weeks. 10,000 athletes will descend
on the city for the games. All in all it is
expected to be a magnificent two weeks
of sporting action.”
Q2.09 QATARSPORT 11