It was an extraordinary day in Doha Corniche yesterday as thousands of people gathered from across Qatar to witness the grand launch of Doha Olympic 2016 logo and website.
The crowds of people and cars near the Sheraton proved a challenge for the traffic and internal police 'Lakhiwya'. But thanks to their efforts there were no accidents.
People made sure not to miss the event and they arrived at the Corniche early afternoon to ensure they got the best view. School students were bought in by buses. Qatari students were in their national dress holding the Qatari flags to celebrate the event.
Waiting in the crowd for the show to kick off were Mohamed Ijaz and Mohamed Farouq, both Pakistani nationals working for Qatar Petroleum (QP). "This is a great opportunity for Qatar and the entire Gulf area as this international event will come with many good things," said Ijaz. "I wish Qatar will win the bid as they are working really hard for it," he added.
"It is not an easy task to accomplish, it requires lots of hard and serious work to convince the judges. I wish Qatar win and now they have many world class facilities," said Farouq.
All nationalities turned out to see the show. "I came here with my son and husband to enjoy the show, especially the fireworks which my son loves. I expect Qatar to win, actually there is a very good chance to win the bid. Taking into consideration the success of the Doha Asian Games, I think Qatar is capable of hosting the Olympics of 2016," said Louise Hunter, a British national. "I like it here as it was very easy to settle down, especially for my son, he has already joined school and made friends," she said.
Panta Leaon, a French expatriate and a mother of two daughters said she was quite surprised to see Qatari women practising sports at the Aspire academy. "I was watching the documentary film about Aspire academy and was surprised to see Qatari women involved in sporting activities. This has changed my earlier outlook about the local community," she said.
A Filipino couple told The Peninsula yesterday that they are optimistic Qatar will win the bid. "Qatar is moving forward very fast. We came here four years ago to work at the new airport project, which by the way is going to be the most advanced airport in the region," said Ernesto Sudiro, an engineering consultant.
An Egyptian family gathered at a community event yesterday said that they feel lucky that they are witnessing such an important event. "Doha is always full of surprises and we feel blessed that we are living in such quiet and beautiful place. Doha has it all to bid for the Olympics and we are confident that it will win, but not sure whether we will be here to see the games or not," said Amro Mustapha, an Egyptian expatriate.
Zahra Hassan
© The Peninsula 2007
