
The local sports calendar is poised to become much busier over the coming year with an average of more than seven major events per month. The packed agenda is part of a push by local officials to position Qatar as a global sporting hub and develop a stronger athletic culture ahead of the 2022 World cup. Qatar is expected to host 89 local, regional and international sporting events between this month and March 2016 – up from 84 a year earlier. The tournaments coming to Qatar include boxing, wrestling bowling, sailing, ice skating and weightlifting events. A full calendar can be found on the QOC website The events come on the heels of several successful tournaments hosted by Qatar that have wrapped up in recent months such as World Cup Swimming Championship, the Qatar Total Open and the Men’s Handball World Championship.