Doha 2017 bid chief admits offer to foot £5m bill for prize-money

The chairman of Doha’s bid to host the 2017 World Championships has confirmed they have offered to pay the International Association of Athletics Federations’ £5million prize-money bill if they are awarded the event.

Doha and London are competing to host the championships and will discover today which city has been chosen by the IAAF Council at their meeting in Monaco.

Doha claim they represent the best chance to open new markets for athletics in the region, but their financial muscle is also a major factor and bid chairman Sheikh Saoud Bin Abdulrahman Al Thani admitted they had offered to pay all the championships’ prize money.

“This is something that we have put forward with the IAAF,” Sheikh Saoud said. “The idea is that the prize-money from the IAAF could be used for the future development of athletes.”

Sheikh Saoud would not be drawn on how much of an advantage that offer might prove, but insisted that the IAAF would be free to use the money wherever they wanted. He also claimed that the climate in the region would not be a problem thanks to hosting the championships in September rather than the more traditional dates of late July and early August.

“If we want to move into a new region you have to flexible on dates,” he added.

“To be clear, at the end of September it’s not like July or August. It’s like July and August in other countries. It’s not a big difference.”

Asked whether he thought it was fair that Doha could make their prize-money offer, London 2017 bid chief executive Niels de Vos said: “Clearly it’s fair, it’s perfectly within the rules of the competition to make submissions to the (IAAF) council as you see fit.

“I think our approach is a slightly broader one to the commercial proposition that the World Championships is, “ said de Vos.

“There is a lot of evidence that suggests the overall commercial value of a championships in London – not just for 2017 but a two-games cycle which is how broadcast and sponsorship deals are sold – is significantly more than it is in Doha, certainly well in excess of the value of the prize money. We are confident that our overall proposition is a very, very strong one based on the strength of our market and its attraction to global sports sponsors.”

Former Olympic 1500m champion and multiple world record holder Sebastian Coe expects a battle to the last minute today.

Lord Coe led London to victory in the vote for the 2012 Olympics and was also involved, but only in an advisory capacity, in England’s failed bid for the 2018 World Cup.

He would not be drawn on London’s chances this time around, but said: “The thing about a bid campaign is that it goes to the last moment – it’s about laying out your message clearly about what you are doing for the sport and we have made those very strongly.

“I can tell you our case is being heard very sympathetically. These are my colleagues – it is not selling a second-hand car to someone you have never met.

“These are friends and colleagues, people I have known for 30 years, and they know the strength of our case.”

It has been rumoured the IAAF will consider awarding the 2019 event as well today.