Qatar’s rising stars get behind Doha 2017 bid

The Doha 2017 Bid Committee is pleased to announce the backing of its upcoming athletics stars Mutaz Essa Barshim , Femi Seun Ogunode and Noor Al Malki for their IAAF World Championships bid. Mutaz Essa Barshim, Femi Seun Ogunode and Noor al-Malki are the most recent athletes showing support for the Doha 2017 bid. They join Abubaker Kaki Khamis, Veronica Campbell-Brown, Yelena Isinbayeva and Andreas Thorkildsen in backing Doha’s bid to host the IAAF World Championships in 2017. From Qatar, Barshim has become one of the nation’s leading track and field athletes in high jump. Hitting his prominence at the 2011 Asian Athletics Championships in Kobe, Japan, he reached his best jump of 2.35 metres earning him the Gold and setting a new Championship record for the event. Barshim is also the current Champion for the IAAF World Junior Championships and Asian Junior Championships. “I am very excited and passionate about the future of Athletics in my home city and I support the Doha 2017 bid,” Barshim saied. “A World Championships in Doha will be a big step forward for the development of Athletics not only here in Doha but around the world too!” Ogunode, the Asian 200 and 400 metres champion, is another youth on the rise for greatness within the world of Athletics. With personal best times Challenging Championship records, he is set to be competing among the best during the 2017 World Championships.  “I have competed and trained in Doha for years and I always had great support from the local public and the Athletics family in the Doha. I believe Doha has the right resources, great people and a real love for sports, I know that Qatar would be a fantastic host for the 2017 IAAF World Championships,” Ogunode said. Up and coming 100 and 200 metre sprinter al-Malki, who was recently adjudged the “Sport Athlete” for the 2010-2011 season, joins her teammates in supporting the Doha 2017 bid. Having won two gold medals in the 100m and 4x100m relay at the recent GCC athletics tournament, she is eager to represent Qatar at the World Championships in 2017. Malki said, “This is a very exciting time for Doha, we have a lot of talented athletes on the rise. In 2017, we will have a fantastic team ready to challenge the world’s best for a spot on the podium!” President of the QAAF and executive director of Doha 2017 Bid Committee Abdulla al-Zaini commented: “We are dedicated to further developing the tradition of Athletics and sharing that knowledge with other countries can do the same. Mutaz Essa Barshim and Femi Seun Ogunode have trained in Qatar for many years, and represent the future of our sport and the success of our sport development programmes. They are both incredible athletes and excellent Athletics heroes for the country. As the next generation of Athletics, I look forward to seeing them develop even further over the years and hopefully compete for medals in Doha in 2017.”