Introduction to Qatar’s Olympic Bid
In view of the World Cup, three years ago, the eight major global championships organized the country this year and the Asian games, which are to take place there in 2030, felt the next logical step for the Gulfland. This time the difference is just about scaling. In Los Angeles, 36 sports are shown in 2028, with a variety of disciplines in every sport. Then there is the political aspect of an Olympic Games that differs from that of a World Cup.
Qatar’s Ability to Host the Olympics
Jean-Loup Chappelet, professor of public administration at the University of Lausanne and Olympic scholar, believes that Qatar is very able to organize a summer game. "Having the facilities is not the most important for the Olympic Games these days," Chappelet said. Instead, there are two important criteria that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has been looking for in a host country in recent years. "One is the political support and the other is the support of the population. It is more important than the venues. In fact, the venues can be changed, as we have recently seen in Los Angeles and in Brisbane. Therefore, no one doubts that the venues are available. What is important is the political support of the authorities."
Weather and Image Problems
In view of the average high temperature in Qatar in July, Celsius (111 Fahrenheit) is 44 degrees, and it is out of the question that the Olympic Games organize an Olympic Games. "It should be in November, like the 2022 World Cup," said the Frenchman, who was working on the offer for the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville. Assuming that this was possible, there is also the question of the two criteria mentioned above. In view of the fact that national political support is probably not a problem, attention will be paid to the support of the population.
Population Support and Human Rights
An easy way to assess this is a referendum, as in Germany with regard to the mere idea of offering the 2036 games. However, Chappelet is not so certain that he can see that Qatar has something similar. "In general, the IOC is satisfied with surveys," he said. "The surveys are carried out by an independent company. So you can see what the support of the population is. The problem in Qatar is that the local population is rather small and there is a large migrant population. The validity of this support of this population must therefore be discussed with certainty." Human rights are very important, especially for the construction of the institutions, the state and the workers. And so there were big problems there. Qatar has made some efforts, but Qatar’s image perception is not as good as for other countries.
Other Bidders and the IOC Selection Process
Chappelet believes that the confirmation of Qatar’s offer will force others to act. "It means that you have to rehabilitate a bit," said Chappelet. In view of the heat, current doping problems and the bad results in the competition area, Chappelet believes that India is already out of running. South Korea is also in the mixture, but the strength of his offer depends on the result of the mayoral elections in Seoul next year, while Chile is probably one for the distant future, since it will be Asia’s turn. The games should change every season, and with the 2028 edition in North America and 2032 in Oceania, the 2036 Olympics should take place in Asia or Africa that have never organized. This brings Qatar and Indonesia into a good position, although Chappelet believes that Istanbul has a strong chance.
Conclusion and the Road Ahead
The final decision is expected to be delayed by 2027 after the newly elected IOC President recently said that IOC members are more involved in the selection process and enable a thorough review of the selection of previous hosts. "There was overwhelming support from the IOC members for a break and a review of the future host election process," said the President. "The members want to be more involved in the process, and secondly there was a very big discussion in and near when the next host should be awarded."
