I realise that this is a bit of a wierd topic to blog about today, but I still have an odd interest in Olympic bids. It seems to me that sports events like the Olympics and World Cup are the primary ways cities or countries get to show off to one another. Thus, I’m not so interested in who wins what sporting competition, rather how cities and countries vie between each other for the right to host events. It strikes me that there are a hell of a lot of politics involved in such decisions.

Earlier today I came across this entry on the Gamesbids blog. It’s just a summary of the ten main events in that area this year. Reading it, something struck me as potentially very interesting: both London and Doha, Qatar are contemplating bidding to host the 2036 Olympic Games. If true, then it could be something worth keeping an eye on.

Of course, it has only been just over ten years since London hosted the 2012 games, and another successful bid would make it the only city to host the games four times. The Olympic park up in Stratford will presumably still be there, so this time we would just need to dust everything off. To be honest, the vibe I get from what I read concerning the idea of another London Olympics is kind of half-hearted: Been there, done that. (Indeed, as I wrote here, I personally think a joint bid from Manchester, Liverpool and Leeds might be even cooler). It’s the fact that we would be bidding against Doha which interests me though.

On the other hand, Qatar seems rather desperate for a chance to host an Olympic games for the first time. They controversially put on the World Cup this year of course, and there are many who still think it should never have done so given it’s stance on women’s and LGBTQ rights. The country seems to crave the kind of international validation that hosting such events earns it, as if holding an Olympic Games would mean Doha is a big player on the world stage, alongside the likes of London, Paris, LA and Tokyo. Perhaps I’m overreading things, but I think in such bidding processes we can discern quite a bit about a city or country, about it’s ambitions, how it sees itself and how it wants to be seen. Qatar currently seems desperate for the recognition of hosting such events, as if doing so gives the dictators who rule it some kind of validity. We all saw how overboard they went hosting the world cup this year; just think how pumped up their egos would be should their capital win the right to put on the world’s most prestigious sporting and cultural event.

All the more reason to back another London bid.