Doha Diamond League scheduled to go ahead despite Middle East war

The opening meet of the Diamond League season in the Qatari capital of Doha is scheduled to go ahead as planned, despite the war in the Middle East.

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Organisers of the elite athletics circuit on Friday, 27 March said that they were continuing to monitor the situation in the Qatari capital, but added that a final decision would be made no later than a month before the scheduled date.

Doha is set to host the first of 15 Diamond League events this season on Friday, 8 May.

"The Diamond League continues to monitor the situation in Doha, working in close coordination with meeting organisers, the Qatar Athletics Federation, the relevant authorities in Qatar and World Athletics," Diamond League said in a statement.

"The safety of athletes and spectators is our primary concern, and we are also exploring alternative options with all stakeholders.

A final decision will be made no later than a month before the scheduled date."

The Diamond League is the elite one-day meeting series in track and field, with Doha opening a season that features 14 other meets in 13 different countries across four different continents.

The meet, which was set to introduce meeting record bonus payments this year, was first held in 1997 with only men’s events included in the programme, but later added women’s disciplines in the following year.

In 2019, the Diamond League extended its contract with the meet, and it played host to the opening event last year.

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In the wake of the war, the United States and Israel launched an attack on Iran; however, several major sporting events in the Middle East have been postponed or cancelled, including the Formula One grands prix in Bahrain and Jeddah, in Saudi Arabia.

Both were scheduled for mid-April and have been cancelled.

In football, the Finalissima, which was to pit European champions Spain against Copa America winners Argentina on March 27 in Qatar, has also been cancelled.

The Qatar motorcycling Grand Prix, initially scheduled for the weekend of April 12, has been postponed to November 8, while a gymnastics World Cup event scheduled to take place in Doha in April was also cancelled.

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However, Saturday's horse racing meeting in Dubai, carrying prize money of $30.5 million and featuring the Dubai World Cup, is going ahead.

No Kenyan athlete had been announced by the organizers to take part in the event, but lead athletes like world pole vault champion Mondo Duplantis and Olympic high jump champion Hamish Kerr remain poised to kick off their outdoor seasons at the Mazzraty Doha Meeting.