Dubai Ready for SportAccord Encore

(ATR) Dubai Sports Council secretary general Saeed Mohamed Hareb said that the UAE capital is ready and willing to host SportAccord 2016

However, he would not confirm that an agreement has been finalized.

"There is some talk, but still not confirmation about SportAccord to be in Dubai," Hareb said about reports Dubai will be selected. Dubai hosted the convention in 2010.

Lat month Around the Rings reported that Dubai will host Sport Accord in late April 2016 based on comments by interim president Gian-Franco Kasper. A final decision on the venue is expected soon, within the next month when Kasper and his colleagues on the SportAccord executive meet in Lausanne.

Hareb’s comments came during the 2015 Smart Cities and Sport Summit in Lausanne, shortly after he presented in the opening session on Sport and Place Branding.

"People would definitely love to come back to Dubai and when everything is finalized, why not," he said. Dubai hosted the convention in 2010,

"Dubai is a city to welcome big events and certainly SportAccord is a big conference."

"We are in the final discussion, but not confirmation – we are working towards that," Hareb said.

"I hope in two weeks, we will know the final decision."

Dubai would become the first city to hold the convention twice over the course of its 14 editions.

"Still people are talking about that time when we hosted more than 1,500 people in the biggest hotel in Dubai, Atlantis," Hareb said about the 2010 gathering.

Hareb said his city would relish the chance, particularly considering thenew direction the event appears to be headed following turmoil at the 2015 convention in April and the subsequent fall-out leading to the resignation of president Marius Vizer.

While Kasper is temporarily leading the organization, Summer Olympic federations chief Francesco Ricci Bitti has been appointed to serve as president of the annual convention.

"We want to bring SportAccord to what is was before 2010," Hareb advised referring to the event which was initially primarily focused around the international federations.

"We want to see SportAccord being as a family as we saw it before, because after Sochi, I felt something was wrong.

"I spoke with many of the international federations and the they said they would love to come back to Dubai under the umbrella of SportAccord.

Hareb briefly discussed a potential Olympic bid by Dubai, although advising that it is still too early to talk about 2028. However, he noted that the bid would not just come solely from Dubai, but the entire United Arab Emirantes.

He said that Dubai is also enthused about hosting additional international sporting events moving forward, and although unlikely, perhaps could even stage indoor winter sports events.

"We have an indoor ski area, so it is not impossible in Dubai," Hareb said. "There is a challenge, but maybe someday we will sit together and watch winter sports."

Written and reported in Lausanne by Brian Pinelli.

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