DOHA, Qatar (AP) — Qatar is hoping its success in winning the 2022 World Cup will sway voters to support its bid to host the 2017 world athletics championships.
Qatar Athletics Federation President Abdulla Ahmed al-Zaini says on Saturday that it plans to employ a similar strategy as it did for the World Cup bid, campaigning hard to dispel the notion that the tiny desert nation is too hot in the summer to host big sports events.
It plans to air condition the main venue, Khalifa Stadium, using some of the same cooling technology planned for the 2022 World Cup.
Doha is the only one of five cities outside Europe bidding for the games, with the other competitors including London, Berlin, Budapest and a Spanish city yet to be confirmed.
Formal bids must be submitted by Sept. 1.
