Dubai: The 2012 Olympic hosts London will have to try very hard if they are to outdo Dubai's hosting of the SportAccord International Convention that concluded yesterday.
"Dubai has set the bar. It has set the yardstick and it will be very difficult to beat," Hein Verbruggen, Chairman, SportAccord Convention, told Gulf News on the concluding day of the week-long international event.
London is the next venue for the annual conference and networking tool that brings together all the federations affiliated to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) under one roof. The ninth edition of the SportAccord International Convention will be held at the Park Plaza Westminster Bridge from April 3-8 next year.
"On a scale of 10, Dubai gets 9.999 and that is a difficult figure to beat for sure. Much of the credit goes to 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. This convention was done to a degree of perfection and without her [Princess Haya] magnificent contribution we would not have had an event like this here," Verbruggen said.
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"Dubai showed us how an event of this standard needs to be organised and run. Ten days before the event we were scared because of the travel woes with the ash cloud in Iceland, but now after this convention has ended we have seen how Dubai has worked to stage the best," he added.
Verbruggen had a word of praise for the commitment shown by Shaikh Mohammad. "As the Ruler and a leader, Shaikh Mohammad was there all through to show the way," he said.
Meanwhile, officials of the local organising committee hailed the lessons learnt from organising and conducting such an important event in Dubai.
"The SportAccord has shown us the power of support that we received from Shaikh Mohammad, Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Princess Haya leading the way to ensure the success of this event," said Saeed Hareb, Second Vice President, Dubai Organising Committee.
"Dubai has been on the map for hosting top-class sporting events. And now with the SportAccord we have put ourselves among the best as a destination for such big conventions and seminars," said Dr Ahmad Sa'ad Al Sharif, General Secretary, Dubai Sports Council.
