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Olympic Council Of Asia President Says Middle East Ready To Host Olympics

"I think even if we host a birthday party there would be such a reaction. That is the tradition of the media."
-- OCA President Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah, predicting protests if a Middle East country were to host the Olympics.

Olympic Council of Asia President Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah said that Doha and Dubai "are capable of hosting the Middle East's first Olympic Games and the region would simply have to trust itself to deliver a great event in the face of doubt and criticism," according to Peter Rutherford of REUTERS. Al-Sabah, who also heads the "powerful" Association of National Olympic Committees, said that "a successful bid would be well received in a region where sport is helping bring about change." However, he recognized that "it would also bring a firestorm of protest from other parts of the world in the same way FIFA's decision to award Qatar hosting rights for the 2022 World Cup provoked an outpouring of controversy and criticism." Al-Sabah said, "I think even if we host a birthday party there would be such a reaction. That is the tradition of the media." While major events were once the domain of Europe and North America, Asia "is now viewed as a 'safe pair of hands' when it comes to hosting the world's biggest sporting competitions." Al-Sabah: "We are capable in many cities in the Middle East to host an Olympics -- Dubai is ready, Doha is ready. I know that not every city can host the Olympics. Only the main ones, and even they are always faced with difficulties." Al-Sabah, who is in South Korea for the Asian Games in Incheon, west of Seoul, said that "the OCA was trying to keep costs under control without compromising on the quality of the event." Al-Sabah: "We are trying to follow the strategy of the Olympic movement -- how can we keep the Asian Games going without increasing the budget, how do we become more flexible?" (REUTERS, 9/18).

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