Being popular in sports, Qatar has always attracted sports lovers. The country seems to be actively involved in multiple games such as football, cricket, basketball, swimming, volleyball, horse racing and camel racing. Added to this is powerboat racing, golf, auto racing and Olympic-style handball.
Recently, the Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) released its latest major sports events calendar for 2020 showcasing that the 2022 FIFA World Cup country is soon going to become a major sports power of the world.
Hosting eight additional sports events than the previous year, this year Qatar is all set to host 65 local, continental and international sports events. The calendar records International Basketball Federation (FIBA) 3×3 Basketball World Tour 2020 as the opening event from April 2-3. The International Swimming Federation (FINA) Swimming World Cup is scheduled to start on October 8.
A sum total of 37 international sports events can be seen in the 2020 calendar. The Grand Prix, organised by the Qatar Fencing Federation at the Aspire Academy from January 24-26, has enabled athletes to gain qualification points for Tokyo 2020. In the beginning of this year, the Arab country graced men’s tennis stars for the Qatar ExxonMobil Open, which is a part of the ATP World Tour 250 series event.
With reference to the preparations for the coming year, Secretary-General of the QOC, HE Jassim bin Rashid Al Buenain said, “We are excited and proud to be able to continue hosting a wide variety of sporting events in Qatar throughout 2020. It shows the success of the various national sport federations in Qatar, and how the Qatari sports community clearly share the same values and ambition.”
“Sport has the unique power to bring people together and connect them beyond borders, creating positive cultural exchanges that form a strong international community. It is an honour for us to host these events, and we are delighted to welcome the global sports community to witness the world’s finest athletes compete at our magnificent sports facilities.”
The Katara Cultural District will witness Doha hosting the 2020 FINA Marathon Swim World Series from February 15. The Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex will be welcoming women tennis players for the Qatar Total Open from February 23-29. International Table Tennis Federation’s tours will also be headed towards Qatar. In March, several junior squash and tennis events will be held.
April and May will see the IAAF Diamond League Athletics Championship and Judo World Masters 2020 respectively. Finally, the ITTF World Singles Table Tennis Qualification Event will mark the end of May.
Prior to heading for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, Qatar will witness Davis Cup tennis action. Two International Tennis Federation (ITF) World Tennis Tour events will be hosted in October. The last two months will have multiple sports events, ending with the Qatar International Weightlifting Cup from December 19 to 24.
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