The Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) today published its latest major sports and events calendar for 2020 demonstrating that the 2022 FIFA World Cup host nation’s status as a world sporting power continues to rise.
Qatar is set to host 65 local, continental and international sporting events this year. This is eight more than the country hosted in a highly successful 2019, which included the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) World Championships. The 2020 calendar is headlined by the opening event of the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) 3×3 Basketball World Tour 2020 (2-3 April) and the International Swimming Federation (FINA) Swimming World Cup (8-10 October).
There will be a total of 37 international events on the calendar in 2020, with the International Fencing Federation (FIE) Fencing Grand Prix (24-26 January) the next major event to head to Qatar. The Grand Prix, organised by the Qatar Fencing Federation at the Aspire Academy, will enable athletes to gain qualification points for Tokyo 2020. Earlier this month Qatar welcomed men’s tennis stars for the Qatar ExxonMobil Open, which is an ATP World Tour 250 series event.
HE Jassim bin Rashid Al Buenain, Secretary-General of the QOC, said:
“We are excited and proud to be able to continue hosting a wide variety of sporting events in Qatar throughout 2020. It shows the success of the various national sport federations in Qatar, and how the Qatari sports community clearly share the same values and ambition. Sport has the unique power to bring people together and connect them beyond borders, creating positive cultural exchanges that form a strong international community. It is an honour for us to host these events, and we are delighted to welcome the global sports community to witness the world’s finest athletes compete at our magnificent sports facilities.”
In February, Doha will host the opening of the 2020 FINA Marathon Swim World Series, with the event taking place on 15 February in the Katara Cultural District. The country will also welcome the stars of women’s tennis for the Qatar Total Open from 23-29 February at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex. February will also see amateur golf and International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) tour events head to Qatar.
The highlight of March is the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) Artistic Gymnastics World Cup (18-21 March), with junior squash and tennis events also heading to Qatar. April will see the IAAF Diamond League Athletics Championship head to Qatar, and in May Qatar will host the Judo World Masters 2020 (28-30 May) at Ali Bin Hamad Al Attiya in Al Sadd. The ITTF World Singles Table Tennis Qualification Event (28-31 May) will then mark the end of a busy month.
There will be Davis Cup tennis action in June before a quieter July and August as the Olympic Movement heads to Tokyo for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. In October, Qatar will host two International Tennis Federation (ITF) World Tennis Tour events at Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex. The International Equestrian Federation (FEI) International Show Jumping Championship will be organised by the Qatar Equestrian Federation from 14-16 November, before Qatar’s 2020 international sporting events end with the Qatar International Weightlifting Cup (19-24 December).
Qatar will also host a number of high-profile continental events in 2020, including the Asian Rugby Sevens Tour. Nationally, the 2020 calendar is headlined by the Qatar National Sport Day on 11 February, HH the Emir’s Basketball Cup Final on 9 May, HH the Emir’s Football Cup Final on 15 May, and Sport Excellence Day in November. Additionally, Qatar will host the African football Super Cup on 14 February.
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