Officials from the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) will visit Doha later this month to evaluate its bid to host the IAAF World Championships in 2019.

The IAAF has confirmed that three cities - Doha, Barcelona and Eugene in the US - have officially applied to be candidates to host the 2019 IAAF World Championships.

Following letters of intent received earlier this year, formal candidate files have now been submitted by the cities.

The IAAF Evaluation Commission (EVCOM) which will now carry out the evaluation of the bids has been formed and their programme decided.

EVCOM visits will take place in Doha on October 30-31 and will visit the rival cities in the preceding fortnight, the IAAF said in a statement.

The host city for the IAAF World Championships 2019 will be decided in Monaco by IAAF Council on November 18, following the final presentations made by the three candidates, the statement added.

In 2011, the IAAF awarded London the 2017 World Championships, beating Doha in a head-to-head contest.

The Gulf state of Qatar was unable to repeat its success on the global sporting stage after being chosen by FIFA to host the 2022 World Cup last year.

Last month, the president of the Olympic Council of Asia said Doha and Dubai are capable of hosting the Middle East's first Olympic Games and the region would simply have to trust itself to deliver a great event in the face of doubt and criticism.

Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah, who also heads the powerful Association of National Olympic Committees, told Reuters a successful bid would be well received in a region where sport is helping bring about change.

However, he recognised it would also bring a firestorm of protest from other parts of the world in the same way FIFA's decision to award Qatar hosting rights for the 2022 World Cup provoked an outpouring of controversy and criticism.

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