Sporting chance

It's certainly been an exciting month if you're working in the leisure industry. July has seen a flurry of announcements that anywhere else in the world would probably seem overwhelming but here seems par for the course.

First out of the gates is the determination by the Dubai government to investigate the possibility of hosting the Olympics within the emirate in 2020. I'm not going to go into the various discussions that have been circulating around regarding Dubai's ability to host such an event - after all, this is precisely why HH Sheikh Mohammed is setting up a team to carry out a feasibility study. But let's consider the massive impact this will have on the region as a whole should Dubai choose to bid and win the right to host the Games.

Around $40 billion was invested in the most recent Beijing Olympics in 2008 demonstrating how the Olympics drives massive investment in sporting facilities and infrastructure. One of the key criteria for the venues being constructed for the forthcoming London 2012 Games is that the facilities should remain suitable for ‘community use' following the event. An Olympic bid here would see a similar growth in world-class sports venues-and naturally, such venues will need world-class staff.

There's also the prestige associated with competing and winning on home soil, which means that would-be Olympians in the UAE will need top-quality trainers and facilities in order to reach their peak performance. Furthermore, as potentially the first Olympics to be held in the Middle East, it would be a great opportunity for other GCC nations to prove their mettle on a local yet global stage, so it wouldn't just be the UAE that would see a boost in investment.

Of course, all this is dependent on a lot of ‘ifs' - if the feasibility study concludes hosting the Olympics is viable, if another GCC country doesn't submit an earlier competing bid, if the Dubai bid wins in 2020. But in any case, the Gulf is firmly stamping its authority on the global sport-hosting map. Doha's 2006 Asian Games were highly successful. The UAE is seeing a growth in FIFA standard pitches from hosting the FIFA Club World Cup this coming December. And in the same month it announced the Olympic feasibility study, Dubai was awarded the 2013 World Aquatics Championships by the International Swimming Federation (FINA).

These are all ‘big-money' events and it really won't be long before we all see a trickle-down effect in terms of improved facilities, business and investment opportunities, and the chance for staff to put some serious work into their personal development. The future is very, very bright indeed, and let's hope the good news keeps on coming.

James Boley is the deputy editor of Leisure Manager.

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