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Tribune News Network
Doha
The International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) President Morinari Watanabe termed the on-going 48th Artistic World Championships Doha 2018 as a 'miracle' while speaking to journalists soon after the thrilling women's All-around competition at the Aspire Dome on Thursday.
"This World Championships have emerged as somewhat unique given the competition that we are seeing. I first came to Qatar in 2006 and the event here at the Aspire Dome now in 2018 seems like a miracle to me," said Watanabe.
The 59-year-old, who became the 9th president of FIG in January 2017, and its first Asian head opined that the level of gymnastics seen at the Doha Worlds is out of the ordinary."This has been one of the better world championships. The standards at the Doha Worlds are something special.
"What we saw in the men's All-Around was a tie which was the first time since the new rules have been introduced. The women's All-around competition too was a thrilling competition. No doubt, this is special," he said.
Watanabe, who is also the first from the Japanese world of sport to head an international sports federation, also congratulated gymnast Mai Murakami on her silver-winning effort in the women's All-around event."Murakami was also very good and everyone is happy with her show," he said.
On the current format of world gymnastics competition and whether he would support suggestions of a change, Watanabe proposed to be a new member of the International Olympic Committee during the 2018 Youth Olympic Games and who headed a roundtable meeting of FIG delegations on Tuesday said,"This is after 2021... the federations will decide."
Having drawn cheers appearing dressed in traditional Arabic attire the 'thobe' during the opening ceremony of the Doha Worlds, Watanabe was open to the championships returning to this part of the world again.
"It is not for me to decide, but if Qatar and other Arabic nations want, why not," he said.
