CRICKET | Page 4 FOOTBALL | Page 6 Sarfraz loses Record-setting sleep aft er PSG make it Pakistan’s seven victories abject showing in a row Friday, September 28, 2018 GOLF Moharram 18, 1440 AH Woods partners GULF TIMES Reed on return, Bjorn trusts rookies SPORT Page 3 IAAF WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS DOHA 2019 (Back row, from left) Qatar University professor Dr Saud Abdulghani, American four-time Olympian Aretha Thurmond, Team Qatar athlete Mariam Farid, Doha 2019 vice-president and director general and IAAF vice-president Dahlan al-Hamad and Qatar’s star 400m hurdler Abderrahman Samba pose with kids at a ceremony to mark the one-year countdown to the 2019 IAAF World Championships at Khalifa International Stadium yesterday. Qatar plays it cool, ready to host world’s best next year With Khalifa Great opportunity to break Kids enjoy the cool air from Khalifa International stereotypes, says Qatar’s Farid stadium’s Stadium’s cooling system during the ceremony to mark the one-year countdown for the IAAF By Sports Reporter “First of all I am really proud that cooling system World Championships Doha 2019 yesterday. Doha it is happening here in Qatar,” Farid said at a press conference in action, marking the one-year count- ariam Farid was just down to the event yesterday. Qatar declares 16 when she made a “It’s a great opportunity to Mpassionate speech show everyone that the women readiness for in French, her third language, in Qatar, Arab women, can during the final presentation as compete at a very high level in 2019 Worlds part of the bid to host the 2019 sport,” she said at the state- World Athletics Championships. of-the-art Khalifa International Every woman who Farid had spoken about the Stadium, which also put on By Anil John participates in the fi rst Sports Editor impact that she felt hosting the display its cooling systems that IAAF World Athletics world’s third largest sport- had controlled the temperature ‘ Championship hosted ing event would have on the in the venue to a comfortable hen someone turns in the Middle East can perception and development of 24-26 degrees Celsius. the heat on you, inspire change and women’s sport across the Mid- “We train a lot to make simply play it cool. encourage more girls to dle East. That was in 2014. everyone proud, to make our With exactly 365 participate in sport or In November that year in Mona- country proud. I was part of Wdays to go for the IAAF World consider a career co, Doha won the right to host the bid team four years ago, Athletics Championships in trackside in branding, the World Championships, and and I am proud to be here now Doha, Qatar poured cold water, “Our stance marketing or more a year from now, track and field with a year to go,” the multiple nay blew cold air, on those in- is clear when it comes to sports — Sheikha Asma al-Thani, stars from across the world will national record-holder said. sanely obsessed with the coun- “Today is a very important day and politics. We have always said Director of Marketing and descend on the Qatari capital. “This is a great opportunity try’s hot climate by showcasing cavernous stadium, the dif- in our readiness preparations. that the IAAF World Champion- Communications for Doha 2019 It would be the first time that to break stereotypes about its state-of-the-art cooling sys- ference was strikingly obvious. Ready to be gracious hosts. Ready ships are for the entire Mena re- the world championships are Arab women in sports, women tem installed at the Khalifa Inter- With hundreds of large vents in- to connect the world of athletics. gion,” he said. hosted in the Middle East, and wearing hijab in sports. We can national Stadium yesterday. stalled in all tiers of the stadium Ready to inspire a new generation He added that Qatar’s ambi- did not attend the press confer- the Qatari sprinter is proud to compete in sport at the highest Western media reports about blasting out cool air, the tem- and ready to welcome athletes tions are based on its capabilities ence but sent his good wishes. have been part of that eff ort. level possible.” sporting events in Qatar are rare- perature was a very pleasant 24- and fans from all corners of the and its vision, which is not pos- “Qatar has been hosting offi - ly complete without a mention of 26 degrees. It was as if you were world,” he said. sible without “bold thinking”. cial IAAF events for over 21 years the high temperatures of the re- miraculously transported to dif- “Qatar is a young and ambi- “To have such an ambition re- and in the organising committee fi rst time, and is the creation of a to participate in sport at any level gion with many brazenly suspi- ferent clime altogether. tious nation. We hope that seeing quires innovative, creative and we have a trusted partner who is local, all-female branding team. or consider a career trackside in cious of the tremendous progress The organising committee had is believing and as you can see to- bold thinking. That is why this committed to delivering a World It aims to capture the attention branding, marketing or more. the country has made over the spent the last four days playing day we are ready to deliver upon stadium has cooling technology Athletics Championship which of young people so that they are Real change will only be possible years. Qatar hosting the IAAF host to an IAAF delegation be- our promises, from our stadium and why we want our young ath- makes a real diff erence to the motivated to choose athletics. by ensuring as many young girls World Championships? How is sides team leaders and coaches to our airport, our infrastruc- letes and our local community to world of athletics,” he said. Commenting on the opportu- are in the stadium as boys to wit- that even possible? It’s an Arab from 30 nations who were in ture to accommodation and our experience it live for themselves. “The fact that this is our fi rst nity for women, Sheikha Asma ness the performances of world country. It’s too hot. There are no Qatar to get a feel of the prepara- world-famous hospitality. Eve- That’s why we will introduce a championship in the Middle East al-Thani, Director of Marketing champion athletes through their entertainment options for fans. tions and the facilities available rything is in place including a midnight marathon. All these is hugely exciting. It means we and Communications for IAAF own eyes. And as an organising Blah, blah, blah… for the athletes. growing excitement and energy developments take imagination can and should do things diff er- World Athletics Champion- committee we will be doing all we Hopefully, these prejudiced “Seeing is believing,” Dahlan amongst the local community. but stem from a single goal of en- ently and provide an opportunity ships Doha 2019, said: “Looking can to make that happen.” rants will be silenced once and al-Hamad, Vice President and “In hosting the fi rst ever IAAF hancing athletics worldwide.” to reconsider what is possible in around, it is easy to see that a lot Organisers also unveiled a for all after the media were given Director General of the IAAF World Athletics Championships Dahlan said that next year’s terms of new formats to appeal has been built. But at the same ticketing programme off ering a fi rst-hand experience of the ef- World Athletics Championships in the Middle East, we have a Asian Athletics Championships to spectators in the stadium or time a lot of barriers and per- fans a wide array of options, in- fi cacy of the cooling system and a Local Organising Committee and shared vision and commitment in April will be a test event for the viewers around the world. ceptions of Arab women in sport cluding majlis-style seatings, feel of other preparations at the Vice President of the IAAF, told in partnering with the IAAF, to World Championships in Sep- “We are encouraged by what need changing. Defi nite progress fi nish line seats and discount- Khalifa International Stadium journalists at a press conference grow participation of this won- tember-October. we have seen over this last week has been made with new role ed tickets for group bookings. where next year’s athletics gala to mark 365 days to the event. derful sport across Qatar, the re- “The stadium is now fully and look forward to working with models emerging all the time, but Tickets will be available for pur- will be held from September 27 to He was not just talking about gion and the world.” functional. It will be used for the athletes, member federations these invisible barriers still exist. chase from November, starting October 6. the cooling system, but of the Dahlan also emphasised Qatar’s 2019 Asian Athletic Champion- and partners to deliver an out- “Every woman who partici- at QR60. A seat near the fi nish Yesterday’s event started at overall preparations as well, say- consistent stance that it doesn’t ships in April which will be the standing World Athletics Cham- pates in the fi rst IAAF World line will cost QR300. Fans can 3pm when it was around a humid ing all systems were already in believe in mixing politics with offi cial test event for the IAAF pionships one year from now.” Athletics Championship hosted register for tickets on https:// 37 degrees Celsius in Doha, but place to host track and fi eld’s sports when asked whether the World Championships.” The logo for the champion- in the Middle East can inspire iaafworldathleticschamps.com/ as soon as you walked into the premier event.