Harold Mayne-Nicholls,
the former head of the FIFA Technical Committee has spoken about why
Dubai plays such a vital role in worldwide sport, and that it is only
going to continue to grow.
Mayne-Nicholls,
currently considering running for the presidency of FIFA to end Sepp
Blatter’s 16-year spell in charge of football’s governing body, is set
to speak at Host Cities later this month.
Speaking from his
current base in Chile, where he is the former head of the Chilean
Football Federation, Mayne-Nicholls explained why Dubai has managed to
ensure itself as an international hub for sport.
“Dubai has an open
policy to receive all kind of activities related with sports. It's not
only games, also seminars, courses and other kind of activities in which
they promote.”
With Host Cities now
into its third year, it’s a testament to what Mayne-Nicholls believes.
With live sport, and summits such as Host Cities bringing the worlds
rights holders and leading sports bodies together, Dubai has quickly
become center stage for the industry.
“There are several
places like Dubai, but perhaps Dubai has a better location than others,
plus the fact that the weather during at least 8 or 9 months of the year
is perfect for sports.”
It’s Dubai’s ambition
that seemingly means they stand out as a premium sports location.
Something that is obvious to see for the 53 year-old.
“They are one of the
leaders in the world, as they are always looking for new things that
attract the top players in the world.” The Host Cities attendee
continued, ”I have no doubt. Dubai is 100% prepared to hold more and
more world class events as they have been doing in the recent years.”
Host Cities is a
two-day summit where past, present and future host cities come together
to learn more about a bidding process. For Mayne-Nicholls, the chance to
be in Dubai was one not to miss.
“Mainly the chance to
visit again such a wonderful Emirate plus the chance to speak about the
needs for organising events and the chance to learn about others is why I
am attending. It’s an important fixture on the sporting calendar“
Mayne-Nicholls has
until the end of January to decide whether to run for the FIFA
presidency and if he does, he could potentially be FIFA’s new man in
charge come May.
Host Cities takes
place on the 26thand 27thNovember at the Ritz Carlton hotel, JBR, Dubai.
Attendees include many key figures in UAE sport plus representatives
from the IPL, Indian Super League, South African football and the
creators and winners of Million Dollar Arm.
