2016 Bid Cities. Around the Rings Olympic Bid Power Index

Doha2016, could make it.
Chicago and Rio de Janeiro each score 79 of a possible 110 points in the last ATR rankings before the announcement in Greece on June 4. Tokyo (72), Madrid (71), and Doha (70) also are strong contenders to make the cut, according to the Around the Rings Olympic Bid Power Index. The remaining two cities – Baku, Uzbekistan (59) and Prague, Czech Republic (54) almost certainly will be dropped. “The results of the latest Power Index make it clear that the two bids from the Americas are making the most compelling cases for the Games. And while Doha is bunched up with Madrid and Tokyo in a second-tier of bids, this first-ever bid from the Middle East also has emotional appeal that other bids do not,” says ATR Editor Ed Hula.

The full ATR Power Index will be released Saturday and can be viewed at www.aroundtherings.com.

BidIndex Update for the 2016 Olympic Bids Released By GamesBids.com

GamesBids.com’s BidIndex, the original and most trusted formula for rating Olympic bids throughout their campaigns. This was the first update since February 14, 2008 and the last before the International Olympic Committee (IOC) selects a shortlist on June 4 in Athens.

BidIndex shows Chicago (60.73, up 0.17) narrowly ahead of Tokyo (60.66, up 0.25) to lead the applicants; former frontrunner Rio de Janeiro (59.90, down 0.92) has dropped to third and Madrid (59.50, up 1.25) stays in fourth while narrowing the gap and boasting the largest increase.
Doha (53.46, up 0.63) remains further back from the top bids despite marking gains since the last update. Lagging behind are Prague (37.17, down 0.42) and Baku (36.43, down 0.42), two bids that have been struggling to find support for their campaigns and to make an impact on the IOC.

The overall results indicate that the 2016 bid is becoming one of the tightest Olympic bid campaigns in recent history with the top four applicants separated by only 1.23 points, less than Madrid’s total margin of increase for this update. There is no clear favorite in this race.
Rumors suggest the IOC might be considering only a three-city short list; if so, the campaign of one of these strong contenders will end next week. But if reason prevails, that list will include at least four and possibly five candidates to even out the competitive field.

Lack of venues, experience and a challenging climate and environment are hurdles for Doha’s bid, but organizers claim these are all manageable and the IOC should be ready for a change and award the Games for the first time to an Arab nation. Strong financial and public support and experience with the 2006 Asian Games keep Doha’s BidIndex score close to the frontrunners, but it may not be enough for the IOC to include them on the short list.

CHI 60.73 0.17
RIO 59.90 -0.92
MAD 59.50 1.25
DHA 53.46 0.63
PRG 37.17 -0.42
BKU 36.43 -0.42

Qatar has been ranked second most peaceful country in the Middle East

Qatar has been ranked second most peaceful country in the Middle East and the 33rd most peaceful country in the world, on the 2008 Global Peace Index.
Tokyo 2016 and Doha 2016 hope that the rankings will boost their respective bids for the 2016 Summer Olympic Games. The index is based on 24 qualitative and quantitative indicators.

Hassan Ali Bin Ali, Chairman of the Doha 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games said, “this index reinforces our belief that our bid delivers on one of the fundamental principles of Olympism – to promote a peaceful society concerned with the preservation of human dignity. Doha 2016 can quite literally help change the world by offering a radically new perspective on the Arab world, showing the values of a modern, progressive and open Islamic state - at the forefront of change in the Middle East”.
Hassan added, “a Doha 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games would help to change perceptions about the Arab world and culture. The Games and the years leading up to them will show how we have maintained our traditional desert culture of generosity, hospitality and welcoming natures”.

Peru to bid to host 2016 Summer Olympics

Peru 2016. Livingperu.com has informed that The government of Peru announced Wednesday afternoon that the Andean country would bid to host the 2016 Olympic events. Authorities have confirmed their interest in bringing the Summer Olympics to Peru. Although the deadline to submit bids was September 2007, the presidency of the republic issued a press release announcing that the country is to officially take its proposal before the International Olympic Committee. Peru can provide the necessary conditions to host an event of this magnitude, said government representatives. Cities that have already bid are Baku, Chicago, Doha, Madrid, Prague, Rio de Janeiro and Tokyo.

The seven cities have also submitted their application files, which were due by January 14, 2008. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is to meet in Athens in June to reduce the number of potential host cities. It is unknown how many will be eliminated. The IOC will then choose the 2016 Games host city at its 121st session in Copenhagen, Denmark on October 2, 2009. According to the Chicago Tribune, Chicago Olympic organizers have spent $9 million during the initial phase of the bid and are to spend another $49 million before the IOC chooses a host city.

It was noted that New York spent at least an estimated $50 million on a losing bid for the 2012 Summer Olympics. The Chicago Tribune reported that a senior IOC member said that too much money was being spent to win the right to host the games.

Will Doha2016 may or may not move forward

The International Olympic Committee plans to narrow down the field of applicant cities for the 2016 games.
The IOC decision will be made on June 4th in Athens.
After all-day meetings, the IOC executive board will narrow the field of seven applicant cities to four or five finalists.

The worst chances of moving forward are Baku, Azerbaijan and Prague in the Czech Republic.

Doha2016, Qatar is the other bidding city and may or may not make it to the final round.
It all will depend in the number of finalist cities:

If there are four finalist, Doha is out.
If there are Five finalist, Doha will move forward. That's mean, one more year of Doha bid candidature exposure. It will be important if Doha doesn't succeed to host the Olympic Games in the 2016, In order to be a firm candidate to host the 2020 Olympic Games.

IOC EB meeting in Athens - 4, 5 and 6 June 2008

The IOC Executive Board (EB) will convene in Athens on 4, 5 and 6 June at the same time as the SportAccord convention.
Among the key decisions to be taken will be the selection by the EB of the cities that will move on to the second phase of the bidding procedure to host the 2016 Olympic Games and become Candidate Cities. The selection will be based on a detailed assessment by an IOC Working Group of each Applicant City’s ability to organise successful Games in 2016. The seven Applicant Cities are Chicago (USA), Prague (Czech Republic), Tokyo (Japan), Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), Baku (Azerbaijan), Doha (Qatar) and Madrid (Spain).

Doha 2016 Games Could Promote Peace, Change Perceptions

This is an interesting article posted 11:36 am ET (GamesBids.com)

Hassa Ali bin Ali, chairman of Doha’s bid committee for the 2016 Summer Olympic Games, told Al Jazeera that he believed an Olympics in Qatar would be more than a sporting event, it would contribute to Middle East peace efforts and help change Western perceptions about the Arab world.
He said, “everyone will have to mix with Arab athletes, Israel will come to an Olympic Games in an Arab country, this will create dialogue.
“Perceptions of fundamentalism and fanatics give a bad picture of us. When people come to our country they will see something totally different…they will see the heart of the Arab world”.
Bin Ali added Doha’s bid is backed by billions of dollars and state-of-the-art venues. “It’s unique, it’s the first in the history of the region, and we have big support. Our strength is our venues, 75 per cent are already constructed and the costs of staging the Games have been guaranteed”.
Bin Ali said Arab countries in Africa and the Middle East have signed a communiqué to back Doha’s bid, which would be held in October 2016 to avoid the heat.
As for the other cities bidding for the 2016 Games – Baku, Chicago, Madrid, Prague, Rio de Janeiro, Tokyo - Bin Ali said, “we respect the other host cities, they are strong bids but we are different. We have a vision of creating dialogue, understanding and hope. We want to break down the barriers, we believe we can achieve that”.
Bin Ali addressed concerns that Qatar has a tiny population of less than 841,000, and more than half are migrant workers from South Asia and the Philippines. But he said Qatar’s population would swell to as much as three million by 2016 and people from neighbouring Gulf states would flock to see the Games.
He said “the Olympics is the greatest show on Earth, everyone will want to watch it. It’s an opportunity for us to unite the whole region together. We are very happy with the bid”.

Qatar confident of successful 2016 bid

This is an interesting article of Martin Petty, in the guardian.co.uk.

Oil and gas rich Qatar hopes lavish facilities and a groundswell of support from the Muslim world will earn the tiny Gulf state the chance to host the 2016 Olympics.
Doha's Olympic bid aims to raise the profile of the Arab world and is backed by billions of dollars and state-of-the-art venues, bid chairman Hassan Ali bin Ali told Reuters.
"It's unique, it's the first in the history of the region, and we have big support," he said in an interview.
"Our strength is our venues, 75 percent are already constructed and the costs of staging the games have been guaranteed."
Qatar spent $2.8 billion on new stadiums and facilities for the 2006 Asian Games, which was regarded as one of the most successful.
Finance does not appear to be a concern for Qatar, which sits on the world's third-largest gas reserves and has one of the world's fastest growing economies.
Bin Ali said Arab countries in Africa and the Middle East had signed a communique to back Doha's bid, which would see the Games held in October that year to avoid soaring temperatures.
The International Olympic Committee will next month decide which candidate cities are most suitable to host the Games.
Chicago (U.S.), Prague (Czech Republic), Baku (Azerbaijan), Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), Tokyo (Japan) and Madrid (Spain) -- which bid for the 2012 Games -- are the other cities in the race.

"We respect the other host cities, they are strong bids, but we are different. We have a vision of creating dialogue, understanding and hope," bin Ali said.
"We want to break down the barriers, we believe we can achieve that."
An Olympics in Qatar, a moderate Muslim state, would contribute to Middle East peace efforts and help change Western perceptions about the Arab world, he added.
"Everyone will have to mix with Arab athletes, Israel will come to an Olympic Games in an Arab country -- this will create dialogue," he said.
"Perceptions of fundamentalism and fanatics give a bad picture of us. When people come to our country they will see something totally different .... they will see the heart of the Arab world."
Bin Ali said the costs of staging the Games had been "personally guaranteed" by Qatar's Emir, Sheikh Hamed bin Khalifa al-Thani, and Crown Prince Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani.
If Doha wins, Qatar has said it would give 100,000 teenagers from across the world an all-expenses-paid trip to see the Games.
Despite the success of the 2006 Asian Games, highlighted by a spectacular multi-million dollar opening ceremony, the event received a lukewarm response from locals, with the biggest crowds comprised mostly of foreign workers.
One problem it faces is a tiny population -- less than 841,000 people live in Qatar, more than half of whom are migrant workers from South Asia and the Philippines.
There are similar concerns for when the country hosts soccer's Asian Cup in 2011.
However, bin Ali said Qatar's population would swell to as much as 3 million by 2016 and people from neighbouring Gulf states would flock to see the Games.
"The Olympics is the greatest show on Earth, everyone will want to watch it," he said.
"It's an opportunity for us to unite the whole region together. We are very happy with the bid." (Editing by Peter Rutherford)