Qatar could move Olympics date, says Sebastian Coe

It is not exactly a secret that Doha is keen to eventually host the quadrennial Olympic Games.

The country tried twice to bring the mega event to Doha, in 2016 and 2020, but did not succeed either times. One of the main problems was the timing of the competition, which falls in July-August, when summer is still at its peak in the country.

But now, the city’s future bids received strong endorsement from the International Association of Athletics Federations’ (IAAF) chief Sebastian Coe, who said the timing could be shifted if necessary.

Coe, who was in Doha yesterday to take part in the council meeting of the Asian Athletics Association (AAA), was asked if the Summer Olympics could be moved if Qatar hosted.

“Yeah, we have to be realistic about this. We have to recognise that the world wants sport and it’s not always going to be bidding from areas where there aren’t going to be challenges,” he replied.

“And those challenges are not just geographical or climatic, they are social, cultural, they are political,” he added.

Doha are set to host the 2019 IAAF World Championships and the 2023 FINA Aquatics World Championships.

Though nothing solid has been proposed yet, it is widely believed that Doha will bid for the 2028 Olympic Games.

Coe said it was ‘not unusual’ to move the date of the Olympics. He pointed out that the Sydney games in 2000 were held later in the year, in September and October, as were the Seoul Olympics in 1988.