The Gulf Organisation for Research and Development (GORD) carried out the assessment of the Qatar Olympic Committee's (QOC) new venues, rating the arenas on their sustainability, focusing on the ecological impact and seeing if the arenas addressed the social and cultural requirements in the region.

The state-of-the-art facilities were built to stage the 2015 World Men's Handball Championships,currently taking place and which following the competition will become multi-purpose halls able to be used for a variety of sports, including basketball, badminton, gymnastics and volleyball.

The Ali Bin Hamad Al-Attiyah Arena, meanwhile, has also has the capability to be transformed into an ice rink.

The Ali Bin Hamad Al-Attiya Arena also achieved the four star rating
©Qatar Olympic Committee



"We are happy that Ali Bin Hamad Al-Attiyah Arena and Lusial Sports Arena have achieved the prestigious four star GSAS rating," said Sheikh Saoud Bin Abdulrahman Al-Thanim, secretary general of the Qatar Olympic Committee.

"The Qatar Olympic Committee is committed to developing world-class sports facilities that comply with international federation' standards and are designed with sustainability and legacy at heart.

"Including sustainability within the OIympic Movement's daily operations was one of the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) recommendations in the recent Agenda 2020 reforms.

"We are strongly committed to supporting the IOC with the implementation of these recommendations and we hope that our multi-purpose arenas will set a new benchmark for sustainable venue development."

Following the finals of the 2015 World Men's Handball Championships, the Lusail Sports Arena will be surrounded by a landscape of 350,000 square metres, walking and bicycle paths, an outdoor covered gym and children's playgrounds.

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