Bach Open to Future Qatar Olympic Bids

(ATR) IOC President Thomas Bach says he "can imagine that one day" Qatar will have a shortlisted city bidding for the Olympic Games.

Bach is in Doha to attend the Association of National Olympic Committees General Assembly. Before the assembly begins Bach was given a tour of the ASPIRE Academy, a high-performance sports school based in Qatar. It was Bach’s first visit to the academy in two years, and he was shown the upgrades the facility has seen in that time.

After the tour, Bach told reporters that he could see a future Qatari Olympic bid. He added that the impetus to do so is up to the Qatar Olympic Committee, and would be welcomed by the IOC. Doha bid for the 2016 and 2020 Olympics, but failed to make the shortlist to become a candidate city in each edition.

Bach told Around the Rings that it would be too early to speculate about the nature of a Qatari bid. Qatar has come under international scrutiny over the treatment of migrant workers building the stadiums and other infrastructure for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

"Now, the procedure is underway for 2024 [Olympic bids]," Bach said to ATR. "This is what we are focused on not on speculating on the Olympic Games of the future."

However, the ASPIRE Academy tour gave Bach plenty to be proud of about sport development in the Middle Eastern country. He called upgrades to the facility, "a benchmark for the world of sport," especially progress made in the academy’s scientific efforts.

ASPIRE’s main goal is to produce the next generation of Qatari athletes. The academy begins talent identification for young Qataris around the age of 10, and hosts training camps featuring world-class international athletes.

Bach said the IOC will continue to collaborate with the QOC, and will encourage athletes benefiting to train in ASPIRE facilities. He shrugged off concerns that the exclusivity of the academy would hamper the growth of sport in the region.

"You can see here that international athletes are very much welcome," Bach said to reporters. "Athletes who benefit from our Olympic scholarship programs are training in the ASPIRE academy and are benefiting from this facility here."

Written by Aaron Bauerin Doha, Qatar

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