Doha 2020 Unveils Accessible, Legacy Focussed Olympic and Paralympic Games Plan

The Doha 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games Bid Committee today unveiled its plans to host one of the most accessible, ‘fan friendly’ Games in modern history, with a focus on utilizing existing and planned sports venues in five Sports Zones. The plans include:

· 91% of sports venues already built or already planned and budgeted for as part of the Qatar National Vision 2030

· No need for any new, permanent sports venues, or Games-related infrastructure investment, ensuring only minimal additional spending would be required to stage the 2020 Games

· Average travel times for all athletes and media from the Games Centre of no more than 21 minutes to every single competition venue – these will become even faster with planned transport improvements

· Opening and Closing ceremonies to take place at the new Lusail National Stadium [the venue for the opening match and final of the 2022 FIFA World Cup]

· Khalifa Stadium to be upgraded to a 60,000 capacity dedicated Athletics stadium

· Doha’s new $21 billion metro system will link to 78% of all sports venues

· 50,000 hotel rooms and serviced apartments will be within 15km of the majority of Games venues

· The compact hosting plan, world class transport system and location of accommodation will ensure spectators can watch several events in a single day

· Almost half of all Games tickets will be priced at less than $25

· Legacy developments include the region’s first women’s High Performance Training Centre, and the only Olympic-standard Velodrome in the Middle East.

Doha 2020 also confirmed that it proposes to host the Olympic Games between 2 October and 18 October, and the Paralympic Games between 4 November and 15 November, to ensure ideal conditions for athletes and spectators.

H.E. Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, General Secretary of the Qatar Olympic Committee and Doha 2020 Vice Chairman, speaking at the unveiling of Doha’s Applicant File, said:

"I am delighted to present the contents of the Doha 2020 Applicant File on behalf of the whole region, as shown by the support we have received from the leaders of every Gulf Cooperation Council nation and all of the National Olympic Committees that participated at the 2011 Arab Games. This is a bid which offers a great opportunity not only for Qatar and the Middle East, but the entire Olympic Movement.

"We are presenting a Games plan that dovetails perfectly with the significant investment Qatar is already making in sports facilities and essential infrastructure over the next few years as part of the country’s National Vision 2030. Our focus on utilizing existing venues and those already planned and budged for means that we can have certainty in delivering an accessible and low-cost Games in 2020 if we are granted this honour.

Noora Al Mannai, CEO of Doha 2020, added:

"We have also put a heavy focus on legacy. Our aim is to create a legacy for sport in the entire region empowering a new generation of girls and boys to become active through sport. We want to inspire change, create sporting and commercial opportunities for the Olympic Movement and build bridges of understanding between the region and the international community."

Fahad Juma, Deputy CEO, Technical Bid and Project Management, who led the process to compile Doha’s Applicant File, said:

"Doha 2020’s accessible five zone hosting plan will deliver an average travel time for all athletes and media from the Games Centre of no more than 21 minutes to every single competition venue. Our plans for transport, accommodation and sport venues together with our affordable ticket pricing policy also mean that spectators will be able to watch several events in a day, making Doha 2020 a truly ‘fan friendly’ Games.

"Our new $21 billion metro system will link to 78% of the sports venues and 50,000 hotel rooms and serviced apartments within 15km of the majority of Games venues will be ready ahead of 2020. All these developments are happening irrespective of whether we are granted the honour of hosting the 2020 Games.

"Our legacy planning for the venues is already well advanced and we are very proud that we are putting in place facilities that will benefit the whole region, including a High Performance Training Centre for female athletes. It will be a real boost for girls and women who want to become elite competitors."

Qatar’s most accomplished Olympian, Nasser Al Attiyah, who is scheduled to appear in his 5th Olympic Games at London 2012, added:

"I believe that Doha 2020 will set a new benchmark for Olympic Host Cities and the experience of athletes. The location of the athletes’ village, the fast travel times between venues, and the quality of the facilities really stand out for me. The plans unveiled today would provide the single biggest boost to sport in the region we have ever seen."

Ms Nada Mohammed Wafa Arakji, a member of the Qatar national swimming team, said:

"Sport has changed my life and I know that if the Games were to come here, many more young lives would be changed for the better. To swim at Doha 2020, here in Qatar in front of my own supporters, would be special beyond words. Not just for me, but for every aspiring young girl and boy who wants to take up sport in the Middle East."

For more information, visit: www.doha2020.qa.

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