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Summary A year after Qatar became the first Arab country to win the right to host the World Cup.
The tiny but wealthy Persian Gulf nation is immersed in efforts to make more history by bringing the Olympics to the Middle East in 2020.Flush with billions of dollars from oil and gas sales, Qatar hopes to build on its surprise victory in winning the right to host the 2022 World Cup. Stuck between powerful Mideast rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran, Qatar also aims to capitalize on its role as a peacemaker after a year of enormous political upheaval in the region.Doha is vying for the 2020 Olympics with Baku, Azerbaijan; Istanbul, Turkey; Tokyo; Madrid and Rome. The candidate cities must submit their plans for the games to the International Olympic Committee by February. The IOC executive board will meet in May to decide whether to keep all candidates or reduce the list. The IOC will select the host city in September 2013.The meeting in May is key for Doha. The Gulf city was eliminated early from the campaign for the 2016 Olympics after the IOC board rejected Dohas request to stage the games outside the preferred July-August time slot, saying it would conflict with the international sporting calendar.It was the soaring summer heat that quelled Qatars first Olympic campaign four years ago. Since then, the desert country where temperatures can reach 122 degrees in June and July won the right to host the 2022 World Cup based on a plan to cool the stadiums with innovative design and air-conditioning systems.Soccer officials such as UEFA President Michel Platini have since indicated theyd be happy to reschedule European league schedules to allow the World Cup in Qatar to be played in the winter.During several meetings with the IOC to see if the board would be able to accommodate Dohas request to stage the games later in the year, Saoud said his city received a nod to hosting the Olympics between Sept. 20 and Oct. 20 if it submits the bid.The message the 2020 officials are trying to get across is not much different from the one they used four years ago.With a population of only 300,000 and substantial oil and gas reserves, Qatar has one of the highest per-capita incomes in the world. It is set to be wealthy for a long time and can easily outspend all of its rivals in the bidding process for any sporting event.- AP
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