02.12.2008
Doha, 7 April 2008 – A delegation from the Doha 2016 Olympic Applicant Bid Committee is currently in Beijing attending the 16th General Assembly of the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC).
The Doha 2016 Observer delegation includes Mr Hassan Ali Bin Ali, Chairman of the 2016 Bid Committee and Dr Abdullah bin Ali Al-Thani, Doha 2016 Board Member and Vice President of Education at the Qatar Foundation.
“I am extremely excited to be here, especially as the Beijing Olympic and Paralympic Games are just 5 months away. Doha 2016 is committed to meeting the needs of the National Olympic Committees in our Bid and it is extremely valuable to have this opportunity to develop a deeper understanding of the issues they face as we will seek to integrate this into our planning in the coming months,” said Mr Ali Bin Ali.
The ANOC General Assembly brings together top level delegations from 205 National Olympic Committees (NOCs), as well as representatives from the 2012 and 2014 Olympic Games Organising Committees; the IOC; Applicant Cities and the media.
“It is great to be participating in this conference and to have the opportunity to experience the Olympic Movement at first hand. I am looking forward to seeing the Olympic venues where Qatar’s athletes will be competing this summer,” said Dr Abdullah bin Ali Al-Thani.
“The discussions we have here in Beijing will also help us to continue to develop Doha as a centre of sporting excellence in the region which is increasingly being recognised by international bodies”, added Hassan Ali Bin Ali, the Bid Chairman.
Just last week, Doha was ranked 12th in the Ultimate Sports City league table 2008 organised by Sport Business. The ranking is based on criteria such as public sports interest, hosting experience, facilities and government support – all of which Doha continuously seeks to build upon.
The General Assembly is being held at the China World Hotel from 7-9 April and will involve a series of meetings addressing the issues facing NOCs. Several IOC Commissions, such as the TV and Radio Commission and the IOC Executive Board will meet either during or following the General Assembly.