IOC President Thomas Bach said on Monday that he could "imagine" Qatar will bid to host a future Summer Olympics, according to the AFP. Bach said, "The procedure for the next Olympic Games is underway and I can imagine one day Qatar would be a candidate for hosting the Olympic Games." He is "the latest world athletics boss to give his backing to a potential Qatar bid" in the past few weeks. Just last month, IAAF President Sebastian Coe said that "a Qatari Summer Olympics was possible" (AFP, 11/14). The GULF TIMES reported earlier this year Qatar Olympic Committee Secretary General Thani al-Kuwari said that Qatar had a "vision" to host the Olympics one day. Al-Kuwari said, "We have a vision and a target, which is to host the Olympic Games one day." Doha first bid for the 2016 Games which was won by Rio de Janeiro and then the 2020 Games, which went to Tokyo. Qatar "let the deadline to bid for the 2024 event pass in September," which means Doha can now "only hope" to host the "quadrennial sporting showpiece" in '28, or later (GULF TIMES, 11/14).
