World champion runner Mo Farah will make his first-ever visit to Qatar when he competes in the Doha Diamond League on May 15, organizers have confirmed.
The British athlete will be one of the first athletes in the 14-meeting International Association of Athletics Federation’s Diamond League campaign when he competes in the 3,000 meter running event at the 15,000-seater Suhaim bin Hamad Stadium, Qatar Sports Club’s home ground in Dafna/West Bay.
Farah, 32, won the gold at the London Olympics in 2012 for both the 5,000 meter and 10,000 meter running events, and replicated his feat the following year at the IAAF World Championships in Moscow.
At the Lisbon half-marathon last month, he became the first Briton to break the 60-minute mark for the distance, finishing in 59:32.
In a statement about his upcoming visit, Farah said:
“I’ve heard so many great things about the track, the crowd and the competition in Doha.
There are always very strong fields in the distances so this will be a great early season test on the track for me. I’m looking forward to a good performance.”
In a tweet about coming to Qatar, he also took the opportunity to promote his next goal – to obtain the one-mile world record. In February, he achieved the two-mile indoor world record in the UK, with a time of 8 minutes, 3.4 seconds.
Looking forward to Doha Diamond League…!! Next stop….!! #onemomile pic.twitter.com/0WfJilKuWi
— Sir Mo Farah (@Mo_Farah) March 31, 2015
In a statement, president of the Qatar Athletics Federation Dahlan Al Hamad said:
“We are delighted to have one of the greatest current Olympic and world champions at our meeting this year. Mo Farah’s first appearance in Doha will ensure that our tradition of early season distance racing excellence will continue this year.”
The athlete’s Doha visit comes on the heels of a controversy last month when he was pictured on social media running alongside Moroccan-born Qatari athlete Hamza Driouch.
Driouch was barred by the IAAF from taking part in all athletics until December 2016 due to irregularities with his biological passport.
Driouch, whose penalty was only made public in February, is also being investigated by the IAAF for breaching the two-year doping ban.
Farah’s agent Ricky Simms said the British athlete was not part of a training camp and was in Ethiopia to train alone, The Independent reported.
Others to watch
Running against Farah in Doha will be Ethiopian Hagos Gebrhiwet, the 2013 World Championships silver medalist at 5,000m, who won the Doha 3,000m in 2013. He’ll be joined by 24-year-old Yenew Alamirew, who set the Doha meeting record of 7:27.26 in 2011, still his career best.
Farah may not be the only big name in athletics to perform at the Doha meet, as Qatar Athletics Federation President Dahlan Al Hamad hinted recently that world 100m and 200m champion Usain Bolt may also compete, Doha Stadiums Plus Qatar reports.
The sports website quotes Al Hamad as saying at a press conference last month:
“At this point of time, I can neither confirm nor deny that we’re in touch with Usain Bolt. He’s a great runner and organizers would love to have him at their meet. We’ll welcome him with open arms if he decides to run in Doha. He’s a treasure of track and field,” he added.
Event details
The IAAF Diamond League is an annual series of track and field meetings that take place in 14 cities in the US, Europe and China, with the first events being hosted in Qatar.
Doha’s races will start from 5:30pm on May 15, and the schedule for events, according to Doha Diamond League, will include:
- Men: 100m, 800m, 3,000m, 400m hurdles, pole vault, triple jump, shot put and javelin throw;
- Women: 200m, 400m, 1,500m, 3,000m steeplechase, 100m hurdles, high jump, long jump and discus throw.
A detailed timetable for the events can be found on the organizers’ website here and more details from the other participating athletes are available here.
According to the schedule, Qatari high-jumper Mutaz Barshim, who won bronze in the 2012 Olympics and gold in the 2011 Asian Athletics, will not compete on home ground.
His debut for the series will instead take place in Shanghai on May 17.
According to the organizers, tickets will go on sale “in due time,” although there are no details on prices. A date will be announced on social media, they added.
Do you plan to go? Thoughts?
“The athlete’s Doha visit comes on the heels of a controversy last month when he was pictured on social media running alongside Moroccan-born Qatari athlete Hamza Driouch”….I fail to understand why Mo Farah pictured running with Hamza involves him in any controversy mentioned in this article.
The other guy was found to be dipping and banned for two years and it seems mo Farrah was accused of training with him in the same camp when the first was found out to have been dopping
Yeah, I realise that’s what they are implying, but does training in the same camp mean he would be doping as well? Im not sure how sports training works but it seems like they are quick to accuse by association instead of actual evidence. The downside of being famous I guess, media is just waiting to drag you down.
Under IAAF rules, banned athletes are prohibited from “participating in any capacity … in a training camp, exhibition or practice”. I agree with you that I cannot see what Mo is being accused of, although he should have known better to be seen and photographed with someone who has been banned from both competition and training etc.
There is a suggestion that Mo Farah paid him to train with him, as a running companion to set the pace, but who really knows?
The British athlete that soon will revert his nationality to Somalian…source BBC sport.
What a crep…you must be f..jalous Spanish to say this.
no, I don’t care….it happened I had just read this piece of news on BBC sportnews right before this was posted on Doha News ! No jealousy! He is Somalian, if he is discriminated I think he does right. I think he is an amazing athlete, but you want to see mean where there is not! …I could assume you are a f… sour Brit who is sorry that Farah is changing or taking his Somalian citizenship….but I won’t! Peace 🙂
Good luck …
In related news, to make him feel more at home, the organizers of the Doha Mega Marathon will grab busloads of migrant workers on their day off and force them to run alongside the airplane as it lands. This will give the impression that people here love running and give the people that obviously need the exercise, those manual laborers a chance to enjoy the beaming sunshine and clean air. Sorry for the unrelated comment – but that article really has put a bad taste in my mouth about the abuses suffered by people here all in the name of putting up some numbers. Shameful.
Might come along to watch Mo collapse again. He’s bound to in the heat….
Good job Mo’s not a footballer, then!
I wouldn’t bother buying a ticket without being given the guarantee that they let me in when the event takes place.
Great news! Track and Field is the prime event of the Olympics and it will be a great opportunity to see future 2016 Olympic medalists. Usually African fans make the atmosphere in the Qatar SC stadium. Also, the Diamond League event in Doha will be under IAAF and international media scrutiny – it is the first event after the city being awarded to host the 2019 World Championship.