Exclusive: Doha set for 2015 IPC World Athletics Championships as London close in on 2017

By Tom Degun

November 21 - Doha appear poised to secure the prestigious International Paralympic Committee (IPC) World Athletics Championships in 2015 with London now almost certain to stage the event in 2017.

Both Doha and London publically expressed their interest in staging the IPC World Athletics Championships last year when the pair bid against each other for the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) 2017 World Championships.

Both cities made clear their desire to host the two events back-to-back for the first time ever in 2017.

It was London who were ultimately awarded the event in November 2011 as the International Association of Athletics Federations' (IAAF) ruling Council voted for them by 16 votes to 10.

Since securing the event, London have stuck to their promise and earlier this month, the city's Mayor Boris Johnson officially launched a bid for the 2017 edition of the IPC World Athletics Championships ahead of the deadline for submissions last Friday (November 16).

Although London are technically sole bidder for the 2017 IPC World Athletics Championships, Doha have tabled a bid for either 2015 or 2017.

The situation is made more confusing by the fact that the IPC are set to award the 2017 Championships before they award the 2015 Championships.

In fact, 2017 could be awarded as early as next month.

However, with two strong bids on the table, the IPC appear almost certain to take the 2015 to Doha and 2017 to London.

The Olympic Stadium in Stratford is set to host the 2017 IPC World Athletics Championships

London's only potential stumbling block in securing the competition could be their contractual negotiations with the IPC, which are currently taking place.

However, as long as there are no major disagreements, London will be officially awarded the 2017 IPC World Athletics Championships next month.

London's plan is to host the competition at the Olympic Stadium in July 2017, just a month before it is due to stage the IAAF World Athletics Championships.

The IPC are keen on the idea following the huge success of the London 2012 Paralympics earlier this year which saw record crowds for Paralympic athletics, with an unprecedented 1,185,976 tickets sold.

"The huge appetite for tickets to the 2012 Games this summer shows the level of excitement Paralympic sport can generate, and forever changed the way we think about disabled sport," said the Mayor of London.

"The 2017 IPC World Championships present a fantastic opportunity for us to build on that phenomenal surge of enthusiasm, and welcome back some of the world's greatest sportsmen and women to the Olympic Stadium."