Doha’s futuristic open-air cooling system to be tested at Asian Championship

The name Qatar is reminiscent of hot weather, with temperatures routinely climbing above 40 degrees Celsius: standard fare for the Middle East. It is also evocative of major sporting events, such as the upcoming IAAF World Championship in 2020 and FIFA World Cup in 2022 hosted by the oil-rich country at the iconic Khalifa International Stadium.

So how do they do it in that debilitating heat?
The solution is purpose-built state-of-the-art cooling systems – simply put, a giant air conditioning system – designed to cool the entire stadium, which can accommodate 40,000 spectators, in a manner appropriate to the event or sport in progress.

In other words, the system – which can lower temperatures to 20 degrees – may be adapted to accommodate athletic events or extended encounters such as a soccer match.

The system faces its inaugural test at the forthcoming Asian Athletics Championship, where organisers claim the temperature will not affect events such as the long jump and javelin throw.

Around 700 elite athletes from 44 nations will be seen in action, and as many as 186 medals (21 men’s events, 21 women’s events and a mixed relay event) are up for grabs during the Championship.

The AAC will primarily serve as a test event for the Local Organising Committee (LOC), which will host the Middle East’s first-ever IAAF World Championships in just over five months time at this futuristic venue, which is the world’s largest open-air stadium with such facilities.“I say Khalifa International Stadium has a state-of-the-art cooling system. Why do I say that? Because they designed the air condition in two ways: one for football and one for athletics,” Vice-President of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) and President of the Asian Athletics Association, Dahlan Al Hamad Dahlan explained.“During athletics, the air will be released to a higher level, where it will not affect any event, even the javelin. The temperature will be adjusted as per the instructions from the technical delegates. The purpose is to give athletes optimal conditions to maximise their chance of achieving glory.”The LOC is expected to get instructions from technical delegates on 19 April. However, it is surmised that the temperature will be regulated between 22 to 24 degrees, which is deemed the suitable range for athletes.Sri Lanka’s team of 15 athletes will get an opportunity to compete in cooler conditions than in Colombo when the Championship kicks off from 21-24 April in Doha.