DOHA: The iconic Khalifa International Stadium – venue of next year’s IAAF World Championships - will replace Qatar Sports Club to host the Doha Diamond League (DDL) in 2019, Qatar Athletics Federation (QAF) President Dr Thani bin Abdulrahman Al Kuwari said yesterday.
Speaking to The Peninsula, Dr Thani said the next year’s Diamond League will be one of the major events which the state-of-the-art venue will host ahead of the prestigious IAAF World Championships, scheduled to be held from September 28 to October 6, 2019.
“The next year’s Diamond League at Khalifa Stadium will be a dress rehearsal for the World Championships. We are planning several other competitions including the Asian Athletics Championships before Diamond league 2019.
“We are determined to host the best World Championships ever and we will give all our efforts to achieve our goal,” the QAF president said.
Dr Thani, however, ruled out the possibility that tomorrow’s Diamond League meeting will be the last edition at the Qatar Sports Club which is hosting the event for ninth consecutive year.
“Qatar SC is a very good venue and we will decide on it after the next year’s edition,” he said before adding that tomorrow’s meeting will be the best show yet in Doha.
“We are improving every year and the fans will see further improvement tomorrow as we are looking to host the best Diamond League event in Doha.
“A lot of Olympic and World champions will compete tomorrow which will be a treat for athletics fans in Qatar,” added Dr Thani.
