By Our Correspondent/Monaco

Doha has won its bid to host the prestigious 2019 IAAF World Championships in Athletics; the third largest global sporting event and one of the most significant world championship events the nation will host as part of its ongoing commitment to developing sport. Following final presentations in Monaco, the IAAF Council elected Doha, bringing the global athletics event to the Middle East for the first time is its long history.
Secretary General of the Qatar Olympic Committee and Chairman of Doha’s Bid, His Excellency Sheikh Saoud Abdulrahman al-Thani, said:
“It is a great honour for Doha to have been elected to host the 2019 IAAF World Championships in Athletics. We would like to thank the IAAF for the trust they have placed in us and guarantee to deliver on our commitments. We extend our warmest appreciation to the teams from Eugene and Barcelona for their friendship, fair play and respect throughout the bidding process. It has been a privilege sharing this journey with them.
“Hosting the IAAF World Championships has been our dream since 1997 and we are committed to hosting an exceptional event that will connect the world of athletics and cement a true legacy for the sport. At this time of dramatic sporting growth in Qatar, hosting Doha 2019 marks a new era in our sporting achievements and winning this bid is one of our nation’s proudest moments.”
President of the Qatar Athletics Federation and CEO of Doha’s Bid, Dahlan al- Hamad, said:
“Winning our bid to host the 2019 World Championships is a dream come true for the Qatar Athletics Federation and our whole nation. We look forward to working in partnership with the IAAF to deliver a World Championships that will connect athletics to a new generation in a brand new region.
“We are excited about what the future holds for athletics in the Middle East and we cannot wait to get started on our journey.
“We are very grateful for the highly professional bidding process that the IAAF ran. They set clear and concise guidelines from the outset when they hosted the candidate cities seminar in July 2014, and have treated all candidate cities fairly and equally throughout the journey of submitting our Candidate Files, receiving a visit from the Evaluation Commission and delivering our final presentations today.  They are a truly professional organisation and we are very thankful for all the assistance and guidance that they provided to our Bid Committee throughout the journey.”
To organise an exceptional World Championships, the Doha 2019 bid committee pledged to combine its state-of-the-art facilities, including the Khalifa International Stadium, which is currently being renovated to make it one of the most technologically advanced stadiums in the world; and its proven experience of hosting world-class events  including the annual IAAF Diamond League (previously the IAAF Super Grand Prix) hosted every year since 1997; the 2006 Asian Games; the 2010 World Indoor Championships; and the 2011 Arab Games.
Furthermore, the Doha 2019 bid Committee will ensure that the highest possible standards will be applied to every area of delivery. Whilst very little construction work is required to host the World Championships, Doha 2019 has committed that the Qatar Foundation’s Mandatory Standards will be applied to any areas that do require construction including the “Athletics City”, which uses the new 35-hectare mixed-use development called Msheireb Downtown Doha, right at the heart of the City that will be handed over in its entirety for the dedicated use of the 2019 Championships.
The Qatar Foundation’s Mandatory Standards set out minimum mandatory requirements with respect to recruitment, living and working conditions and general treatment of workers engaged in construction and other projects on its assets, leading to transforming workers’ quality of life and thus set an exemplary model for ethical treatment of workers nationwide.
A significant part of Doha 2019’s bid focussed on the opportunity that hosting the World Championships in the Middle East for the first time in history would bring. Doha is a gateway to 450 million people across 22 countries and 60 per cent are under the age of 30.
This gives the opportunity to showcase athletics to a new region and a new generation – new fans, new partners and new spectators that have not been exposed to this level and scale of athletics competition before. This huge population would be inspired to participate in athletics, creating more elite athletes from across the region, providing more role models, spreading the values of sport and engaging the whole population through athletics.
Speaking from Monaco, Doha 2019 Ambassador and Qatar’s star high jumper, Mutaz Barshim, said:
“Winning the bid to host the World Championships is one of the proudest moments of my life. Competing in the Khalifa International Stadium in front of a home crowd in 2019 will be a dream come true for me. It was such an honour to present to the IAAF today and to share the dreams of my nation and the whole of the Middle East. It is my ambition to be Qatar’s first World Champion and first Olympic Champion – but I want to be the first of many such champions that Qatar produces. Hosting the World Championships in Doha will inspire my whole region to see that anything is possible.”
Mariam Farid, 16-year-old Doha 2019 Ambassador and member of the Qatar National Athletics team, said:
“I am so excited that Doha will be hosting the World Championships in 2019. This is one of the best moments of my life. I was so proud to present to the IAAF today and to represent my country, my region and the millions of young females across the Middle East who will be inspired to fulfil their dreams.  Doha 2019 will encourage more young females from across the region to participate in athletics at every level and we will make our country and our region proud.”