The official logo, slogan and website of the Doha 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Bid Committee were unveiled with much fanfare yesterday. A large crowd gathered at the Museum of Islamic Art Park cheered as an image of ‘the nurturing tree’ flashed on a giant screen. The logo was unveiled by Noora Al Mannai, the Chief Executive Officer of Doha 2020. H H Sheikha Moza bint Nasser witnessed the premiere event along with scores of dignitaries and sports fans. “Today is an important moment for Doha 2020 as we begin to show the vision of our bid for the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Our logo and slogan reflect the uniqueness of Doha as a city and the legacies that would be achieved if the Games were to come to the Arab world for the first time,” H E Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, the Doha 2020 Vice Chairperson, said. “We want to inspire more people across the region to play sport – in particular girls and women. Doha 2020 is a historic opportunity to grow the Olympic Movement in a new region at a crucial moment in its history,” she added. The Doha 2020 logo captures the essence of modern Doha – a place of nurturing for all to experience and to learn. The slogan, meanwhile, demonstrates the impact Olympic and Paralympic Games could have in the region, particularly in view of the events that took place in the Middle East and North Africa last year. “Doha is a host for everyone. The Doha 2020 Olympic bid represents all the Arabs. Our city offers a gateway to a region buzzing with the energy of millions of young aspiring athletes and eager spectators,” Noora Al Mannai said. “To all those who gathered here, I urge you to take up the call to become heroes and champions in your own right, just like those athletes you’ve seen here,” Al Mannai added. Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, the Doha 2020 Vice Chairman and Secretary-General of Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC), said that he had complete faith in Doha’s ability to win 2020 Olympics. “It will be difficult to compete with other countries who are bidding for the 2020 Olympics, but we trust ourselves. We surprised the world when we won 2022 FIFA World Cup hosting rights and we have entered this new race to surprise the world again,” he said. “Qatar has promoted many social causes through sports. It has collaborated with organisations to get people involved in works for humanity,” Noor Al Thani, who was present at the gathering, said. She said that winning the Olympic Games bid would be a big leap of for Doha, the region’s sports hub. Doha is competing against five cities for the right to host the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games - Baku, Istanbul, Madrid, Rome and Tokyo. The IOC will select Candidate Cities in May of 2012 and the 2020 host city will be elected in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in September of 2013. The Peninsula

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