Dubai: A top Olympic official has said Dubai must use the connections it establishes when it hosts the prestigious SportAccord International Convention to lure some of the top international events to the city.
One of the world's top sports networking events, SportAccord Dubai 2010 will be held at the Atlantis between April 25 and 30.
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Over 1,500 representatives are expected to converge on Dubai for the event, which promises to bring together sporting decision-makers, who will lay the blueprint for the future of sport.
"Dubai is becoming synonymous with sport and it is a tremendous honour to be coming here in April. What the city will gain from hosting this event is a vast network from which to build on for future sporting events. Dubai has already hosted a large number of international sports competitions and this will serve as a platform for increasing its portfolio," said Andrew Ryan of the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF).
Ryan said the International Olympic Committee (IOC) must widen its horizons and attempt to make the impossible dream of hosting an Olympic Games in the region a reality.
SportAccord Dubai 2010 will be hosted by Dubai Sports Council, which will work with Princess Haya Bint Al Hussain, wife of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. Princess Haya, who attended the press conference, is President of the Dubai Organising Committee of SportAccord, President of the International Equestrian Federation and member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
"The promoters were right in choosing Dubai as a destination because we are ideally suited for this role," Princess Haya said.
