After numerous allegations thrown at the Qatari authorities on the legality of their World Cup 2022 bid amid a FIFA corruption scandal, and human rights allegations due to the massive construction project, Qatar has reconsidered its bid for the 2024 Olympic Games.
Arabian Business reported that the Gulf country was adamant to continue bidding after failed efforts to secure either the 2016 and 2020 games, despite it being absent from the official list of 2024 bidders published Wednesday.
Instead, Los Angeles, Hamburg, Rome, Paris, and Budapest will compete for hosting privileges, with a winner to be elected by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in Lima, Peru, in September 2017.
Qatar was subjected to scrutiny for allegedly violating laborers' rights working on the project and having won the bid after German and French leaders reportedly lobbied their FIFA representatives on behalf of Qatar.
The small country aimed to become a sports hub for the Middle East and North Africa.