One-Year Countdown: Doha 2019 Showcases Stadium Air-Con System

(ATR) Organizers of the Doha 2019 world athletics championships today unveiled stadium cooling technology at a year-to-go milestone event.

In a media briefing at Khalifa International Stadium, Doha 2019 chiefs showcased the sustainable cooling system and announced ticket options they say will allow fans to watch the athletics action in new ways.

The event wrapped four days of organizing committee presentations about plans for the 17th IAAF World Athletics Championships to team leaders and coaches from 30 countries.

Guests and VIPs at the one-year countdown event including Qatar’s world-class 400m hurdler and 2018 Asian Games champion Abderrahman Samba witnessed the weather conditions the stadium cooling system will offer athletes and fans. The air-conditioning technology set track temperatures to 24-26 degrees Celsius (75-79 degrees Fahrenheit).

Doha 2019 said the system "will guarantee optimal conditions for athletes and fans alike while also being sustainable".

Its first major test comes at the 2019 Asian Athletics Championships at Khalifa International Stadium next April; the venue is also staging 2022 World Cup matches.

The ticketing program announced Thursday offers an array of options which allow them to follow their champion, sit in traditional Arab cushioned Majlis seating or choose finish line seats.

Individual ticket prices range from $16 to $82. They go on sale in November.

"Today is a very important day in our readiness preparations. Ready to be gracious hosts. Ready to connect the world of athletics. Ready to inspire a new generation and ready to welcome athletes and fans from all corners of the world," said Dahlan Al Hamad, vice president and director general of the Doha 2019 organizing committee and an IAAF vice president.

"We hope that seeing is believing and as you can see today we are ready to deliver upon our promises, from our stadium to our airport, our infrastructure to accommodation and our world-famous hospitality.

"In hosting the first ever IAAF World Athletics Championships in the Middle East, we have a shared vision and commitment in partnering with the IAAF, to grow participation of this wonderful sport across Qatar, the region and the world," he said.

New Formats In 2019

Al Hamad said the ambition was backed up by "innovative, creative and bold thinking".

"That is why an exciting new schedule exists with new formats. That’s why this stadium has cooling technology and why we want our young athletes and our local community to experience it live for themselves," he told reporters gathered at the stadium.

"That’s why we will introduce a midnight marathon. All these developments take imagination but stem from a single goal of enhancing athletics worldwide."

The first-ever midnight marathon along Doha’s corniche and a first 4x400m mixed relay, previously announced, aim to maximize fan entertainment and global reach.

IAAF president Sebastian Coe said Qatar was committed to delivering a World Athletics Championship which makes a real difference to the world of athletics.

"The fact that this is our first championship in the Middle East is hugely exciting," he said.

"It means we can and should do things differently and provides an opportunity to reconsider what is possible in terms of new formats to appeal to spectators in the stadium or viewers around the world.

"We are encouraged by what we have seen over this last week and look forward to working with athletes, member federations and partners to deliver an outstanding World Athletics Championships one year from today."

In a bid to accelerate the growth of women’s athletics across the region by changing perceptions, the championships logo was also revealed for the first time on Thursday. The creation of a local, all-female branding team, organizers said they hope the emblem captures the attention of young people "so that they are motivated to choose athletics".

Speaking about the issue, Sheikha Asma Al Thani, Doha 2019’s director of marketing and communications, said "a lot of barriers and perceptions of Arab women in sport need changing.

"Definite progress has been made with new role models emerging all the time, but these invisible barriers still exist. Every woman who participates in the first IAAF World Athletics Championship hosted in the Middle East can inspire change and encourage more girls to participate in sport at any level or consider a career trackside in branding, marketing or more.

She added: "Real change will only be possible by ensuring as many young girls are in the stadium as boys to witness the performances of world champion athletes through their own eyes. And as an organizing committee we will be doing all we can to make that happen."

Reported by Mark Bisson

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