Bach visits Qatar, talks about World Cup with emir

Bach visits Qatar, talks about World Cup with emir

Published Apr. 1, 2014 2:17 p.m. ET

IOC President Thomas Bach is visiting Qatar, where he discussed the gulf state's preparations for the 2022 World Cup and its treatment of migrant workers.

Bach met Tuesday with Qatari sports leaders, including Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad-Al Thani, the emir of Qatar who is an IOC member and head of Qatar's national Olympic committee.

The International Olympic Committee says in a statement that the men discussed the World Cup, and the emir "outlined a number of measures being taken by the local authorities regarding recent issues relating to the workforce and their conditions."

Qatar has come under criticism from labor unions and human rights groups for its treatment of migrant laborers involved in World Cup projects.

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The IOC says Bach also visited an anti-doping laboratory which is expected to be accredited soon by the World Anti-Doping Agency.

The IOC did not say whether Bach and the Qataris discussed another possible Doha bid for the Olympics. Doha, which failed to make the short list of finalists for the 2016 and 2020 Olympics, is considered a potential candidate for the 2024 Games.

Bach, who traveled to Doha from Kuwait, will wrap up his three-country trip with a visit to Saudi Arabia. 

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