Secretary-General of Qatar Olympic Committee Thani Abdulrahman al-Kuwari, President of the Qatar Athletics Federation, received Sunday the host flag for the 23rd edition of the Asian Athletics Championships, which Doha will host in 2019.
President of the Asian Athletics Association and Vice President of the IAAF Dahlan al-Hamad handed the flag at the conclusion of the 22nd edition, which took place over four days in India’s Odisha. The ceremony for handing over the flag took place among a large presence of the fans for the final day.
Al-Hamad said in remarks that Asia has full confidence in the State of Qatar’s ability in making a difference in hosting the 2019 edition. He added that, as a president of the Asian federation, knows that the State of Qatar is a beacon for sports in Asia due to its capabilities and heritage in hosting sporting competitions.
He highlighted Qatar’s vision in hosting tournaments and different events, adding that he considers Doha a sports capital capable of having a considerable impact on the upcoming championships. He also expressed his happiness that his country will host the biggest continental championship. He added that Qatar was capable of succeeding in all events as due to the vision of the country’s wise leadership. He added that as a president of the Asian Association, he feels pride whenever the name of his country is mentioned. He also noted that the association is fighting against mixing sports with politics, something that the IAAF prohibits as well.
