Competitors from 149 countries are set to take part in the event, which is due to be staged at the Aspire Dome between March 12 and 14,  which is two more than participated in the last edition of the Championships at Valencia in 2008.

A delegation from the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) have visited Doha to attend the Qatar Cup, a semi-official test event, to ensure that preparations are continuing to progress smoothly.

Abdulla Al-Zaini, the President of the Qatar Amateur Athletic Federation (QAAF) and event director of the World Indoor Championships, claimed that he wants the event in March to help inspire a generation of young local athletes.

He said: "Athletic career programmes are part of the overall strategy employed by the QAAF and with the World Indoor Championships just a few months away, the world’s spotlight is on Qatar and numerous such efforts are now coming into the spotlight to demonstrate to the world that we are committed to ensuring the optimal usage of the world-class facilities we have for the benefit of our youth and the nation’s sporting future.

"We have seen some youngsters here at the Qatar Cup that definitely have the potential to succeed at a much higher level and through the efforts of our technical committee and our internationally recognised coaching staff over the upcoming years we are sure that we can help these young athletes fulfill their potential.”


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