FIle picture of contestants competing in men's parallel bars qualification during the first of the 2018 FIG Artistic Gymnastics Championships at Aspire Dome in Doha.
Doha: Established in 2001, the Qatar Gymnastics Federation (QGF) has come a long way in making the gulf state a hub of the gymnastics world.
From hosting gymnastics events at the 2006 Asian Games to staging numerous FIG World Cup editions and the blockbuster 2018 FIG World Gymnastics Championships – the first in the Middle East – QGF has played a leading role in promotion of the sport in the region.
This year, the QGF is marking it’s 20th anniversary and will host the FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Cup to celebrate the milestone later this month.
The FIG World Cup is one of the highly-anticipated events in Qatar’s vibrant sports calendar with this year’s event set to take place at state-of-the-art Aspire Dome from March 18 to 21.
It will be the 13th consecutive year when Doha will play host to the gymnastics spectacle.
“This year’s event will be especial as we are celebrating 20 years since the Qatar Gymnastics Federation was formed,” QGF President Ali Al Hitmi told reporters at Al Bidda Tower.
“We are looking forward to host a successful event. Many countries have already confirmed their participation and we are expecting a big number of gymnasts in action at Aspire Dome,” said the QGF president.
While the entries are still open, Al Hitmi informed the QGF has received confirmation from around 250 gymnasts, who will represent 44 countries.
“We have received confirmation from 156 male and 91 female gymnasts so far. Team QGF has a vast experience of organising top-notch events and we are confident to host this event in a befitting way,” he said before predicting a tough competition among the athletes.
“The FIG World Cup in Doha will carry points for Tokyo Olympics qualification and we can expect thrilling performance from gymnasts during the event,” he said.
Speaking on the coronavirus outbreak which is affecting sports competitions worldwide, Al Hitmi said the organising committee will take maximum precautions for safety of all the participants.
“Health safety is our priority and we will make all the possible arrangements to ensure safety of the gymnasts. We are in constant touch with our Health Ministry for guidance. We will do our best to provide such an environment for the athletes that they will only have to focus on their performance and nothing else,” the QGF President said.
After the qualification rounds, the finals will be held on the last two days of the competition – March 20 and 21.
All the top gymnasts, who rate Doha as one of their favourites venues, are expected to feature in the upcoming event.
Star athletes like World’s oldest Olympian Oksana Chusovitina of Uzbekistan, Olympic star Epke Zonderland of the Netherlands and Belgium’s reigning world champion Nina Derwael are the regular visitors to the Qatari capital.
The 2018 FIG World Gymnastics Championships in Doha, which saw participation of gymnasts from 78 countries, was rated as one of the best in history of the competition.
During the event, American prodigy Simone Biles became the first gymnasts from the US to win medal in every event at a single World Championships and the first woman to do so in 31 years.
