Olympics: Qatar wants to move Games

Jacques Rogge, President of the International Olympic Committee. Photo / Brett Phibbs

The IOC met in South Korea yesterday to examine Qatar's possible candidacy for the 2020 Olympics, which is reliant on a request to push the Games back because of hot summer weather.

Already chosen as host of the soccer World Cup in 2022, the Gulf state has requested to host the Olympics in October-November instead of the traditional window between July 15 and August 31.

Four cities have already submitted bids to host the 2020 Games: Rome, Tokyo, Madrid and Istanbul.

International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge said in a meeting with the International Association of Athletics Federations that any decision concerning Qatar's bid would not be made public in South Korea.

"I will listen to my colleagues and find a consensual opinion," Rogge said. "But we're not making a news release immediately, because we want to discuss with Qatar the decision that we make."

The deadline for submitting bids is September 1 and the IOC will decide in September 2013 in Buenos Aires who will host the 2020 Games, which will follow the 2012 and 2016 editions in London and Rio de Janiero.

Qatar was snubbed by the IOC in its bid for the 2016 Games despite tying with Chicago for third place and ranking ahead of Rio in grading by the IOC because of its insistence that the Games move to October.

- AAP