.jpg)
+ A
A -
Vinay Nayudu
Doha
The Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC) Secretary-General Gunilla Lindberg was seemingly pleased as she, along with the Local Organizing Committee Qatar officials, addressed the media at the opening press conference for the ANOC World Beach Games Qatar 2019, which gets underway tomorrow (Friday) and will run until October 16.
Lindberg expressed her gratitude to Qatar for making the beach games under the ANOC umbrella possible. The Games were initially to be hosted by San Diego but the American city pulled out over finances in May, with Qatar quickly stepping in to take over.
“We would like to express our thanks to His Highness the Amir, the state of Qatar and everyone at the Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) for their warm hospitality. In just three months they have achieved a huge amount and we have no doubt this will be a fantastic event,” Lindberg said.
“It’s amazing how quickly and impeccably Qatar has done everything,” she added.
In a lighter vein she also said, “In fact, they have also managed to lower the day temperatures. I don’t know how, but the weather is now much better.
“Anyways, we also don’t have long endurance competitions. The aquathlon is much, much shorter than a triathlon. When we had a team chiefs’ meeting a month ago, it was 48 degrees Celsius. Now it’s 34.”
With winter setting in, both the days and evenings will eventually get much cooler adding to the delight of the Games which are mostly about sun and the sea.
Hoping attract good crowds, Lindberg said, “I think team sports (beach handball, basketball, volleyball) will be very attractive. The Katara beachfront is a very nice venue, besides team sports are always exciting to watch. There will also be water skiing and kitesailing which is great watch too.”
She, however, felt that in Qatar skateboard would also be an attraction for fans. “They have built a permanent skateboard venue at Aspire where you can sit on the grass and watch with the family. I think it’s young, cool and different, and people would appreciate these new generation sports,” she said.
Skateboarding is one of 14 sports included in the 1st ANOC World Beach Games Qatar 2019. Also, the International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach is expected to arrive next week for talks of inclusion of some disciplines at the Olympics.
While Lindberg stressed on ANOC’s intention to keep the Games’ budget low, the grand event with more than 1,200 athletes from 97 countries competing in 14 disciplines, including 3X3 basketball, bouldering, beach tennis, beach handball, beach wrestling and wakeboarding, the five-day event is by no means a small affair.
“The whole intention was to create these Games at one place and also not too very expensive to organize and also to give the possibility for smaller countries to be involved and host the games because these games also don’t need very expensive venues as they are mostly about beaches and sand,” she said.
Hosts Qatar nonetheless are well known not to pull stops in organization of any event. She said the Qatar event would cost between $20 million and $25 million.
US has the biggest representation in terms of athletes, followed by Brazil, Spain, and Italy. There is Botswana and other small African countries too in the mix with South American nations. “We didn’t expect this but they qualified,” said Lindberg.
From the Arab peninsula there are athletes from Iran, Oman, Kuwait and hosts Qatar.
Lindberg said, the Games will be carried live to the world through various channels of the
LOC, Alkass, Olympic Chanel, Social media outlets, through official app, and live stream.
“We have athletes from nearly 100 countries in Qatar guaranteeing that this will be a truly global celebration of beach, water and action sports. We cannot wait for the Games to begin and watch some of the world’s best compete on this global stage for the first time,” Lindberg stressed.
Doha
The Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC) Secretary-General Gunilla Lindberg was seemingly pleased as she, along with the Local Organizing Committee Qatar officials, addressed the media at the opening press conference for the ANOC World Beach Games Qatar 2019, which gets underway tomorrow (Friday) and will run until October 16.
Lindberg expressed her gratitude to Qatar for making the beach games under the ANOC umbrella possible. The Games were initially to be hosted by San Diego but the American city pulled out over finances in May, with Qatar quickly stepping in to take over.
“We would like to express our thanks to His Highness the Amir, the state of Qatar and everyone at the Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) for their warm hospitality. In just three months they have achieved a huge amount and we have no doubt this will be a fantastic event,” Lindberg said.
“It’s amazing how quickly and impeccably Qatar has done everything,” she added.
In a lighter vein she also said, “In fact, they have also managed to lower the day temperatures. I don’t know how, but the weather is now much better.
“Anyways, we also don’t have long endurance competitions. The aquathlon is much, much shorter than a triathlon. When we had a team chiefs’ meeting a month ago, it was 48 degrees Celsius. Now it’s 34.”
With winter setting in, both the days and evenings will eventually get much cooler adding to the delight of the Games which are mostly about sun and the sea.
Hoping attract good crowds, Lindberg said, “I think team sports (beach handball, basketball, volleyball) will be very attractive. The Katara beachfront is a very nice venue, besides team sports are always exciting to watch. There will also be water skiing and kitesailing which is great watch too.”
She, however, felt that in Qatar skateboard would also be an attraction for fans. “They have built a permanent skateboard venue at Aspire where you can sit on the grass and watch with the family. I think it’s young, cool and different, and people would appreciate these new generation sports,” she said.
Skateboarding is one of 14 sports included in the 1st ANOC World Beach Games Qatar 2019. Also, the International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach is expected to arrive next week for talks of inclusion of some disciplines at the Olympics.
While Lindberg stressed on ANOC’s intention to keep the Games’ budget low, the grand event with more than 1,200 athletes from 97 countries competing in 14 disciplines, including 3X3 basketball, bouldering, beach tennis, beach handball, beach wrestling and wakeboarding, the five-day event is by no means a small affair.
“The whole intention was to create these Games at one place and also not too very expensive to organize and also to give the possibility for smaller countries to be involved and host the games because these games also don’t need very expensive venues as they are mostly about beaches and sand,” she said.
Hosts Qatar nonetheless are well known not to pull stops in organization of any event. She said the Qatar event would cost between $20 million and $25 million.
US has the biggest representation in terms of athletes, followed by Brazil, Spain, and Italy. There is Botswana and other small African countries too in the mix with South American nations. “We didn’t expect this but they qualified,” said Lindberg.
From the Arab peninsula there are athletes from Iran, Oman, Kuwait and hosts Qatar.
Lindberg said, the Games will be carried live to the world through various channels of the
LOC, Alkass, Olympic Chanel, Social media outlets, through official app, and live stream.
“We have athletes from nearly 100 countries in Qatar guaranteeing that this will be a truly global celebration of beach, water and action sports. We cannot wait for the Games to begin and watch some of the world’s best compete on this global stage for the first time,” Lindberg stressed.
