With less than two weeks to go for the Association of National Olympic Committees’ (ANOC) World Beach Games Qatar 2019, preparations are in full swing to ensure an amazing experience for all participants.

“We’re really excited about hosting this event as it’s another opportunity to host the world and also showcase how passionate we’re about sports in Qatar”, said Ishaq Al Hashmi, Local Organising Committee’s Director of Sports.

“All arrangements have been made to ensure a hitch-free event and, as usual, the world will witness Qatar at its sporting best, come October 12. This is another history in the making and it’s a great privilege that we’re hosting the first edition of an event of such magnitude,” he added.

The five-day Games will kick off with a spectacular opening ceremony at the Katara Cultural Village on October 12.

“Apart from having some of the best sports facilities in the world, organising mega sports events has almost become a second nature to us in Qatar. We’ve staged some of the biggest sports events and the World Beach Games comes as part of our commitment to the development of sports worldwide as well as promoting global peace through sports,” said Hashmi.

Over 1,200 athletes from 97 countries will be participating at the event, dubbed as ‘Olympics for Beach Sports’.

“As we all know, there has never been anything like this in the history of beach sports. There’ve been several competitions at continental levels, but never something that brings the whole world together for beach sports. It’s a unique experience for us in Qatar and I believe the effects of this event will last for a long time, not only in Qatar but the entire region as well. It’s a matter of pride to us and to the region,” Hashmi added.

The official noted that hosting the event in Qatar would have tremendous impact on beach sports in the country as it has the potential to further popularise these disciplines by attracting more participants and fans.

“One of the great legacies of the World Beach Games will be its benefits to beach sports in Qatar. We’ve beautiful beaches all around the country and I believe, going forward, there’ll be a lot more interest in beach sports in Qatar. We’ve been doing well in some beach disciplines like volleyball and handball, where we’ve won some continental titles. By hosting the World Beach Games I hope there’ll be a major impact on other disciplines as well,” he said.

The first ANOC World Beach Games will feature 14 disciplines, including aquathlon, 3×3 basketball, climbing/bouldering, handball, karate, kite-foil racing, skateboarding, soccer, open water 5km swimming, tennis, volleyball 4×4, waterski, wakeboard and wrestling.

Katara beach, Al Gharafa Sports Club, Aspire Park and Ritz Carlton Canal will be the venues.