The opening of the World Athletics Championship in Qatar

Mohamed El Sayed - Al Jazeera Net

Under a barrage of fireworks and symbolic paintings that steal minds, Qataris have mastered their ancient heritage and bright present at the opening ceremony of the Doha World Athletics Championships.

With thousands of spectators queuing up to eight kilometers on Doha's Corniche and nearly a billion spectators on television, Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani opened the 17th edition of the World Championship on Friday evening.

The spectacular opening ceremony showcased the heritage, culture, and identity of the State of Qatar throughout its history, blending the sporting aspects of the mother of games and heritage through paintings and appearances.

The opening also saw fireworks that lit the skies of the capital Doha, while the Qatari flag was hoisted along Doha's Corniche and at Khalifa International Stadium, the host venue.

The Qatari brilliantly displayed the most beautiful paintings they quoted from the rich history, identity, heritage and present, where the celebration began with the national anthem and then some traditional performances.

Among the most prominent paintings of the ceremony were picturesque paintings that linked the heritage and identity of Qatar to its present, in addition to paintings representing the symbols of the ancient Qatari civilization in the castles of Al Wajba and Al Zubarah, as well as paintings of the most prominent features and prospects of Qatar and the Khalifa Stadium, which hosts competitions.

The opening ceremony culminated in a dance featuring young men and women from different cultures of the world. The fireworks that set the Doha sky on fire were then unleashed to announce the end of the ceremony and give the Emir of Qatar a signal to start the women's marathon.

The Emir of Qatar and the most prominent leaders of the State of the ceremony from the booth of VIPs next to the President of the International Olympic Committee Thomas Bach and a number of leaders and officials of sport in the world.

The 2043 athletes will represent 210 countries in 49 races and competitions, 192 gold medals will be distributed, and the World Athletics Championship is the most important event hosted by Qatar before hosting the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

The Chairman of the Organizing Committee of the championship Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani that "the meeting is renewed in the State of Qatar, to gather the world in this great forum, which emphasizes the role of sport in promoting the values ​​of friendship and peace among peoples, and to live together the facts of this major sport event over ten Days, during which we will reap the fruits of the efforts of elite world athletes through the World Athletics Championship - Doha 2019.

He added that since the State of Qatar was honored to host the World Athletics Championship, the State has begun to prepare early and prepare the cooperation of all sectors to organize this big event under the guidance of its leaders and officials, in order to ensure the output of the tournament in an ideal manner that reflects the status of Qatar in the global sports.

IFA President Sebastian Co welcomed the attendees and expressed his hope that Qatar will host the best tournament so far.

He thanked Qatar for its continued support to sport in general, especially as it has a distinguished history in organizing sporting events, noting that the Qatari people certainly feel proud to host this global event.

He believed that the championship is an inspiration for future generations, and we expect the competition to be very strong among the champions.