Olympics: Doha would host 2020 Summer Games in October

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Olympics: Doha would host 2020 Summer Games in October

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Doha unveiled their plans should they win the right to host the 2020 Olympic Games.

21 February,2012 03:49 am

Doha unveiled their plans should they win the right to host the 2020 Olympic Games on Monday and unlike their counterparts who won the race to host the 2022 World Cup they have opted for an October date and not the searing hot temperatures in July.Doha - who failed to make the short list for the 2016 Games - would be one of the most accessible, fan friendly Games in modern history, with a focus on utilizing existing and planned sports venues in five Sports Zones.They are competing against Istanbul, who are seen as lively dark horses in what is their sixth bid, Tokyo and Madrid, who finished third and second respectively behind Rio de Janeiro for the 2016 edition and Baku.The candidates will learn whether they have made the short list at a meeting of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in Quebec City from May 23-25.The ultimate winner will be voted on in Buenos Aires on September 7 next year.The Doha bid team said that they proposed to host the Olympic Games between October 2 and October 18, and the Paralympic Games between November 4 and November 15, to ensure ideal conditions for athletes and spectators.They trumpeted the fact that they already had 91% of sports venues already built or already planned and budgeted for and that half the tickets would cost spectators less than $25.Athletes too would face little problem in getting to their respective venues as they would at the most have travel times of just over 20 minutes but those times would be reduced over time with the planned transport improvements.Noora Al Mannai, the bids chief executive, said that they hoped to leave a legacy that would benefit the young of the region for years to come - something that is also at the centre of Istanbuls bid.Our aim is to create a legacy for sport in the entire region empowering a new generation of girls and boys to become active through sport, he said.