The edict was issued by IAAF general secretary Pierre Weiss following concerns that Doha planned to use the World Championships to launch a major marketing campaign, including buying up billboards around this South Korean city to advertise their candidature.

"There are guidelines were sent to all the candidates and we sent a remainder to them again a week before the Championships," Weiss told insidethegames. 

"We are happy with the fact that the cities have followed these guidelines so far."

Following the warning from the IAAF TSE Consulting, a Swiss-based international management company employed by Doha to help them with their bid, cancelled a series of planned interviews with the media, including insidethegames.

Doha now plan to officially launch their campaign with a press conference during the Samsung Diamond League meeting in Brussels on September 16.

Neither of the other two candidates, Barcelona and London, had planned any promotional activity during these World Championships, which are due to last until Septmber 4.

The IAAF Council is due to make a decision at its meeting in Monte Carlo on November 11.

Bids from cash-rich Qatar are especially sensitive at the moment following the allegations of bribery that followed the country's successful bid last year to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

The IAAF warning has coincided with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) discussing here a request from Doha to be allowed to hold the Olympics and Paralympics outside the agreed window in July and August if they successfully bid for the 2020 Games so that they can avoid the worst of the country's blistering summers.

The IOC's ruling Executive Board spent more than two hours discussing the topic this afternoon, news of which had first been revealed on insidethegames yesterday.

But they are refusing to make public what they have decided

"We are not making a news release immediately, because we want to discuss with Qatar the decision that we make," said IOC President Jacques Rogge. 

But the decision will quickly become apparent as the deadline for bidders closes on September 1.

So far Istanbul, Madrid, Rome and Tokyo have declared that they plan to bid.

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


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