By Nick Butler

Qatar will face Leipzig in the race for the 2017 World Fencing Championships ©AFP/Getty ImagesNovember 29 - Qatar is aiming to continue a period of hosting major sporting events after they officially handed over their bid for Doha to host the 2017 World Fencing Championships to the International Fencing Federation (FIE).


Saleh al Hamidi, President of the Qatar Fencing Federation (QFF) personally presented the bid documents to FIE President Alisher Usmanov during the FIE Congress in Paris, with the German city of Leipzig providing the sole opposition at this stage.

Qatar is looking to make the most of their "superb organisational expertise having organised various international world competitions including the 2006 Asian Games", it was claimed.

The country also has experience of hosting fencing events, such the 2005 FIE Congress in Doha and the annual FIE Men's Epee Grand Prix and the Women's Epee World Cup.

Qatar has been selected as host of the 2022 FIFA World Cup and will also host World Championships in handball next year, road cycling in 2016 and in gymnastics in 2018.

The announcement of Qatar's bid follows the news that the Russian cities Kazan and Moscow have been awarded the 2014 and 2015 editions of the World Fencing Championships.

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