2016 Olympics bid launched in spectacular fashion

Published: Friday, 26 October, 2007, 01:29 AM Doha Time

Sports Reporter

HH the Heir Apparent Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani with his brother Sheikh Joaan and other guests at the launch of Doha 2016 Olympics bid yesterday
“CELEBRATING CHANGE”. This will be the tagline under which Qatar would press ahead with its 2016 Olympics bid which was officially launched by HH the Heir Apparent Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani at a spectacular Corniche ceremony yesterday.At the event, Sheikh Tamim also unveiled the bid’s new logo and the new state-of-the-art website.
Thousands of people gathered along the road to watch the event, which featured an acrobatic display by Jump Zone and culminated in a spectacular firework display over the sea

VIPs, including members of the Qatari government and the Qatar National Olympic Committee, also watched as the logo was projected onto a water screen rising from the sea and then onto the side of the high-rise Olympic Tower in the city.
Speaking at the event, the Doha 2016 Bid Committee chairman Hassan Ali bin Ali said: “Hosting the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Doha in 2016 would bring the Olympic flame to the Arabic-speaking world for the very first time and extend the Olympic ideals to millions of new hearts and minds.”
He added: “Our vision for the Games will be focused on the world’s youth. It is among the young people of this region and the rest of the world that we must nourish these core values of respect, tolerance, understanding and hope – and through these ideals offer them an opportunity to effect great and positive changes to the world that they will inherit.”
The Doha 2016 tagline, the bid chairman said, was “a celebration about unity and friendship; it is about optimism and commemorating change; it is open and welcoming; it overcomes barriers to cultures and peoples; it honours achievement.
“The Olympic Games themselves are among the world’s greatest celebrations. And in 2016, hopefully Doha will host the greatest celebration the Olympic Movement has ever seen.”
He added: We are celebrating the momentous changes that have taken place and continue to take place in our country. We are celebrating the changes that hosting the Olympic and Paralympic Games will bring to Qatar, to Doha, to this entire region and to the wider world.”
The logo was revealed to be a representation of the ‘Flower of the Spring’ – the Aldahma – which is drawn out of the Arabic calligraphy strokes forming the words ‘Doha 2016’.
Bin Ali said: “Our bid logo represents a celebratory message for a truly energetic and spirited 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Doha.”
He concluded by urging the entire population of Qatar to support the Doha bid, saying: “The Doha 2016 Olympic and Paralympic bid can change Qatar. It can change this entire region. It can change the world. Now that will indeed be a “change to celebrate”.
The new Doha 2016 website, in English, French and Arabic, can be found at www.doha2016.org
The launch extravaganza was a riot of song, colour and dance with a multinational band singing in various languages.
Doha faces competition from Chicago, Madrid, Tokyo, Prague, Rio de Janeiro and Baku to host the 2016 Olympics.
The 2008 Olympics will be held in Beijing, and the 2012 Games in London.
Bin Ali admitted that “the competition will be tough between Chicago, Rio de Janeiro, Madrid and Doha.”
Qatar’s bid is expected to be formally submitted to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on January 14. The winner will be announced by the IOC in October 2009 in Copenhagen.
Qatar, which sits on the world’s third-largest gas reserves, spent $2.8bn to build gleaming stadiums and other facilities for the Asian Games, and will also host the 2011 Asian Cup football event.

2016

We came to the corniche last night with Bajesus. As you can expected the traffic was so bad, so we parked somewhere at the back of HSBC building and walked all the way to the big Orry ........ we out walked the cars on the corniche all the way!!! A good move by us, if you don't mind walking ofcourse:-) Leaving our car at home and accepting the kind offer of a lift from Bajesus was our contribution to lessening the predictable traffic problems.

To be honest ... i am not that impressed with the arrangement of the 'bidding party', it could have been a lot better. Even we knew there would be mega crowds after all the promotion and invites like SMS, radio, paper etc. Yet in the Orry area at least attractions were crammed together with very little access. This area was so dark ... the places where all the kiddies rides didn't have enough lighthing. Pedestrian accesses here and Sheraton end were blocked off with 'fences' causing 'people' bottlenecks piled up for no apparent reason even though 30m to one side was a gate way to the other side anyway!!!

Another area where some thought could have been directed was to make it safer for all the pedestrians to cross the corniche road on their way to the event. It was a case of 'j' walking between slow moving vehicles for thousands, with the danger of the odd driver be grudging you the time to do so with intimidating honking of horns and heavy revs. Maybe another argument here for the provision of over head walkways. To be fair though, some effort was made at the Sheraton end when the authorities closed the road off for a while.

I saw someone distribute free water ... but it seems only guys who managed to get it, even returning for more, some hoarding so many bottles we thought they were water sellers!!!. Saw some mother and young kiddies struggling fighting with the crowd just to get the water. They should arrange a queue syetem somehow so people can get the water fairly.

However, it was still good to see at least some form of family entertainment once and a while being organised, the high light for us was the fire work display. Judging by the crowds reaction, this seemed to be the biggest success of the evening to be enjoyed by the majority. I am sure that most of the people there had a great time.

And again Bajesus ... thank you for picking us up last night :D