Each nation needs make a post-competition review.
It turned out to be an excellent competition overall. Better than I expected.
One problem was poor attendance.
A bigger concern in advance of the meet was safety of participants.
Since 2014 the International Olympic Committee has listed sexual orientation as a protected category in the Olympic charter.
The practice of sport is a human right. Every individual must have the possibility of practising sport, without discrimination of any kind and in the Olympic spirit, which requires mutual understanding with a spirit of friendship, solidarity and fair play .
Yet FIG hosted in a nation where homosexuality is illegal. It’s also illegal to campaign for LGBT rights in Qatar. That should be corrected before the World Cup of Football.
I was relieved that both Israel and the women from Egypt were able to compete in Qatar without a major incident. Pingpong diplomacy. Sometimes sport leads to greater international peace.
The World Athletics championships are scheduled for 2019. There’s concern that Saudi Arabia and its allies including the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt might boycott.
Personally I’ve been focused on the upsides of a Muslim nation hosting a sport where female participation worldwide is greater than male participation. I’m hopeful small steps like this will help Islamic girls and women gain more access to fitness and sport.
At a time when the American President demonized Muslims, it was an eye-opener for gymnasts from around the world to actually visit a Muslim nation. To learn something about Arab culture.
I’d say the positives outweighed the negatives.
related – Highs And Lows Of The 2018 Artistic Gymnastics World Championships
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