DOHA, 7 February 2006 — In the 11th progress report, released to coincide with the “300 Days to Go” milestone, Abdulla Khalid Al Qahtani, director general of DAGOC, has emphasized the readiness of the organizing committee and the state of Qatar to welcome thousands of athletes, officials and visitors during the Games.
Venue planning cycles have been completed for the 30 sports facilities and 14 multi-purpose stadiums that will see thousands of athletes participate in 39 events during Doha 2006, commencing on Dec. 1.
This progress follows the successful completion of the 3rd West Asian Games in December 2005. After hosting the major test event which was applauded by international sports federations and observers, who also endorsed the sport readiness of the city, Qatar is well on the way to cementing their place as the sports capital of the Middle East. Qatar finished on top of the 13 country medal table with a tally of 67 medals, including 28 golds.
“I feel that we have already grown remarkably in capability over the last three months. This can only hold us in good stead for the Asian Games in 2006,” said Al Qahtani.
“As an organization we have continued to look forward to the Doha 2006 Games when evaluating contracts, policies and procedures and I can safely say we are on the right track regarding speed and urgency.”
“During the last three months, our volunteers and contractors have become an operational part of our large workforce, deliveries have increased, and operational systems have been implemented and have been commended by independent observers on our approach and heightened the sense of preparedness.”
“I want to thank our team of committed volunteers, the Qatari government, the business community, and the education sector for the excellent support we continue to receive from them as we continue to grow, develop and deliver,” Al Qahtani added.
The report goes on to add that the Games Security Task Force has finalized its plans for detailed security implementation across the country, and the Main Logistics Center and the Main Operations Center have been commissioned.
The Doping Control tender was awarded to King’s College of London while the printing and distribution of tickets was awarded to Sanyong. The contract offers DAGOC a series of solutions including seating plan management, systems integration and hardware, advance purchase windows, staffing, ticket design, sales & settlement management, and other ticketing related areas combining IT and marketing elements.
The Doha 2006 Technical Handbooks have been approved by the Asian Federations and are ready for distribution; meanwhile telecommunications, broadcast and media services, which were successfully put through their paces during the 3rd West Asian Games, are in place.
Catering, Waste management, hospitality, venue/athletes village housekeeping, property management services and medical facilities tenders have been finalized and the tender process to purchase sports equipment has begun.
Seminars and conferences for Doha 2006 partners and broadcasters have been held with several more slated before the Games open later this year.
DAGOC recently unveiled the 13-country torch relay route, the longest in the history of Asian Games during which 3,500 torchbearers will carry the Flame a distance of 500 meters each on a journey that will span more than 50,000 kilometers.
“When we made our bid to host the 15th Asian Games, we said that Doha is eager, capable and uniquely qualified to do the job; and that we could do it in a fashion that upholds and fortifies the tradition of the Game as well as further emphasising Qatar’s capabilities to host the highest level of international events. We are fulfilling this promise and this report demonstrates our determination,” Al Qahtani said.
The 15th Asian Games Doha 2006 will be the biggest sporting event to be staged in the Arab world. It is the second largest sporting event in the world after the summer Olympics.
The Games has prompted a number of multi-million dollar projects to bring Doha’s infrastructure up to international standards with new roads, hotels and leisure facilities either finished or well underway. The Games is set to attract millions of viewers worldwide having already tied up with the best in the media and broadcasting industry.
“Our aim is to organize a Games event that touches the lives of everyone who is part of it: the athletes and sports federations who will benefit from the world class sporting facilities, Asian national Olympic committees, media, spectators, visitors, volunteers, our employees and the people of Qatar.”
