DOHA: Qatar 2015 participated at the 4th Coliseum Summit MENA ConfEx (Conference and Exhibition) with a keynote address delivered by Fahad Fadol Al Yafei, Head of the Venues Committee, Qatar 2015.
The two-day event, held in Doha, saw the participation of 280 delegates representing 26 countries and helped facilitate discussions on challenges and solutions in the global sports venue sector.
Qatar 2015’s keynote address on the second day of the summit provided an overview of the preparations to date for the 24th Men’s Handball World Championship, including the construction of the three new world-class venues – Qatar Handball Association Complex, Al Sadd Sports Hall and the Lusail Multi-Purpose Hall.
Al Yafei said: “Qatar is completing major preparations in its role as host nation for the 24th Men’s Handball World Championship. Our teams are working hard to incorporate all the technical requirements of the sport, as well as the design elements needed to deliver a superb spectator experience at each of the venues.”
He added: “In addition to meeting the guidelines and recommendations of the IHF, the competition venues have also been built to host other sports matches and tournaments in the future.”
All three venues have been built to include competition and training facilities to support the development of handball in Qatar.
In addition, the Al Sadd Sports Hall and Lusail Multi-Purpose Halls have been designed so that they can host a full range of sports, such as badminton, basketball, volleyball, rhythmic gymnastics – and even ice hockey, in the case of Al Sadd Sports Hall. With seating capacities of 7700 and 15,000 respectively, the two Halls will provide ideal destinations for sports fans in Qatar.
He added: “Projects like this are challenging and have risks, but these risks can be managed by keeping all stakeholders involved from the very beginning – which is what we have done. Following up with tight project control and monitoring progress helps to ensure timely project completion and avoid surprises during the project implementation. We have already overcome most challenges and have delivered two stadia with the third is on its way to completion.”
The Qatar Handball Association Complex was tested during the recent IHF Super Globe Championship 2014, receiving extremely positive feedback from competing teams.
Qatar 2015 also plans to test the other venues before the main championship, by hosting similar events.THE PENINSULA
