Nearly 1,300 athletes and officials from 172 countries are due to take part watched by more than 300 international media and a crowd predicted to exceed over 20,000 during the three-day competition.

"Hosting international sports events such as these prestigious IAAF Championships is a great honour for Turkey and Istanbul; it is also evidence of just how far Turkey has emerged in world sport," said Suat Kılıç, Turkey's Minister of Youth and Sport.

"Staging these global events builds a vital bridge of experience and expertise on our journey to Turkey's ultimate quest: to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

"There will be a magical atmosphere in the city over the next few days fuelled by the sporting passion of new Turkey's youthful population.

"This is underpinned by the commitment of Turkey and Istanbul's Government to invest in national sport infrastructure and facilities."

Early fears that the Ataköy Athletics Hall - located next door to the headquarters of the National Olympic Committee of Turkey (NOCT) - would not be ready in time have been allayed and IAAF President Lamine Diack today praised local officials for their organisation of the event.

For many athletes the event is a chance to check their progress as preparations for London 2012 enter their final stages.

The biggest event is set to be the women's pentathlon which pits Britain's Jessica Ennis (pictured above) against her Russian rival Tatyana Chernova, who beat her to claim the world heptathlon title in Daegu last year.

The World Indoor Championships is the fitrst in a series of high-profile events that Istanbul is due to stage over the next few months as they begin to try to convince the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to award them the 2020 Games ahead of rivals Baku, Doha, Madrid and Tokyo.

Europe's leading football officials are due to begin descending on the city later this month when Istanbul hosts the XXXVI UEFA Congress on March 22 while the Abdi Ipekci Arena will stage basketball's EuroLeague Women Final Eight between March 28 and April 1. 

Then in December the Sinan Erdem Dome will host the World Short Course Swimming Championships. 

Istanbul has increased its total hotel room inventory to approximately 63,000, and that is forecast to grow to over 96,000 by 2020.

There has been an average annual spend of $1.2 billion (£760 million/€908 million) on transport infrastructure improvements since 2004; a further $7.5 billion (£4.7 billion/€5.7 billion) will go towards developing Games transportation infrastructure over the next seven years, Turkish officials claim.

"This event is an opportunity for the international sporting community to witness Turkey's dramatic social, economic and sporting renaissance in the 21st Century," said Hasan Arat, the vice-president of the NOCT who is expected soon to be officially appointed as the leader of Istanbul 2020.

"Turkey's rapid economic growth of around 10 per cent [per annum] in part reflects why we feel that after four bids in the last 20 years, 2020 is the right time for Istanbul to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

"Turkey and Istanbul's stable and sustainable progress would ensure the Games would be an economic and organisational triumph for the Olympic Movement."

Besides Diack, a number of other leading IOC members are expected to attend the Championships, including Sergey Bubka, a vice-president of the IAAF, and Britain's Sir Craig Reedie. 

"The Ataköy Arena took just 15 months to build, yet already it promises a sporting legacy that could last for decades: as our proposed venue for the judo, taekwondo and boccia competitions in 2020, the arena will help the city meet a pressing social need," said Ugur Erdener, the President of the NOCT and himself an IOC member.

"These Championships will show the Olympic Movement the power Istanbul has to inspire a uniting event and create a harmonious legacy."

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


Related stories
March 2012: Istanbul 2020 will unite Olympic Movement like Bosphorus bridge does Europe and Asia claims Sports Minister
February 2012: We are focused only on ourselves, say Istanbul 2020 after Rome withdrawal
February 2012: Turkey's "strong, stable" economy boosts Istanbul 2020 bid
January 2012: Turkey's "energies are focussed on Olympics" promises Sports Minister after Euro 2020 claims
January 2012: Exclusive - "This time everything is different" promises Turkey Olympic chief