DUBAI STRIPPED OF WORLD SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS
FINA, May 17: Swimming's world governing body FINA has stripped United Arab Emirates city Dubai of the 2013 World Swimming Championships and will now go back to the market to find a replacement city.
FINA broke the news over the weekend after previously handing Dubai an ultimatum on deadlines.
Dubai will still host this year's FINA World Short Course Championships from December 15-19.
FINA said the project for the 15th FINA World Championships 2013 had been reviewed and in a mutual agreement, FINA and the Dubai authorities decided that Dubai would not go forward with the organisation of these championships.
Both Mattar Al Tayer, Deputy Chairman of the Higher Organising Committee and Deputy Chairman of the Dubai Sports Council, and FINA President Dr. Julio C. Maglione reaffirmed that Dubai has opted to concentrate on developing grassroots interest in swimming rather than go forward with another championships for elite athletes in three years.
Al Tayer said: "Our vision from the start was that hosting the 2010 FINA World Short Course Championships would leave a legacy that would benefit residents in Dubai and throughout the UAE. Our goal after the championships is to encourage wider use of our new aquatic complex by the people who live here."
FINA President Dr. Julio C. Maglione said: "We believe that, at this stage, it is of paramount importance to further improve the impact of the aquatic disciplines in this Middle East region before staging a FINA World Championships with our five sports.
"The UAE authorities will certainly do their best to accomplish this goal and the first step towards achieving it will be the organisation of a very successful FINA World Swimming Championships (25m) in December."
The next FINA long course championships will be held in Shanghai in 2011.