Despite triumphs on track, Qatar has come under fire for its hosting of World Athletics Championships with questions raised over Doha's ability to deliver football World Cup successfully in three years' time. Perhaps most stinging off-track criticism of 10-day event which concludes Sunday was sparked by spectacle of a near-empty stium during opening days, raising fears for attendances in 2022. "It's a classic mega-event failing, believing that 'if you build it, fans will come'," said Simon Chwick, professor of sports enterprise at Britain's Salford University. Crowds at 1976 Montreal Olympics and 2004 Games in Ans also failed to meet organisers' expectations despite ambitious stium construction, he ted.

International Association of Athletics Federations chief Sebastian Coe has come under fire for dismal crowds that turned out in Doha to watch blue-riband events including men's and women's 100 metres. " crowd is an easier subject to talk about rar than some of more insightful stuff around events," said Coe, who attacked what he viewed as negative media cover. Spectator numbers improved as week wore on after at least one large state-funded organisation offered staff free tickets for Khalifa International Stium. "It totally felt different, re was a lot of energy," said former 1,500m world champion Jenny Simpson on Thursday after American won her heat.

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'Reasons to be re' 

Despite Western diplomats warning Qatar would be "judged harshly" for missteps during athletics, Chwick said Doha would be unfazed by criticism of meagre crowds. country inste sees Championships and World Cup as a means of bolstering security, he said. "Even if body turned up to watch athletics, it doesn't matter. Qatar has mitigated threats it faces by making itself visible, relevant and important," said Chwick. Qatar is embroiled in a bitter two-year dispute with Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt and United Arab Emirates which accuse Doha of backing Iran and rical Islamists.  y have cut direct transport links, closed air to Qatari aircraft and restricted ir citizens from visiting over claims, which Doha denies. By hosting such events, Qatar "has a degree of protection against some of threats," Chwick said, ding that 2015 World Handball Championship and 2016 cycling Ro World Championships were also poorly attended. FIFA would w seek clarity about Doha's ticketing strategy following sight of a near-empty stium on some days at athletics, he ded.

"People want to kw -- is re going to be somewhere nice to stay, can y buy a beer?" Chwick said. "What kind of event ecosystem are y constructing around that ticketing strategy? You've got to give people reasons to be re."  Qatar World Cup organisers declined to comment on ticketing challenges at athletiics but sought to he off fears around World Cup, including alcohol prices in conservative Gulf monarchy. Officials also sought to reassure LGBT fans ir safety would be assured as y showed off rapidly evolving World Cup infrastructure to visiting media ahe of athletics.

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'Qatar more'?

Ar recurring issue was heat in ro races, with some competitors berating organizers for sweltering temperatures and humidity during marathons and race walks that were held outside air-conditioned stium. Cana's Lyndsay Tessier, who placed ninth after 28 of her 68 rivals dropped out of women's marathon, told AFP it was "really scary and intimidating and daunting" seeing competitors collapse. But World Cup organizers insisted to visiting media that 2022 will t be dogged by high temperatures as it will be std in winter months and played in air-conditioned stiums. Championships spectators faced grim traffic jams across Doha with many key ros and junctions undergoing construction, although competitors and VIPs received police escorts.

Congestion surged when Al-Sd football team hosted Saudi outfit Al-Hilal at home on Tuesday, just minutes away from Khalifa Stium. It also highlighted that soccer is more popular than athletics among Qataris, despite fact that thousands of locals packed stium to see home hero Mutaz Essa Barshim retain his high jump title on Friday. pressure is also mounting on authorities to open all 37 metro stations, of which only 13 are currently operational, by promised New Year deline. Chwick said Qatar was "skating on thin ice" following challenges of World Championships. "y have to get World Cup right orwise, after 2022, re's going to be a question about what happens next," he said. "If sports governing bodies walk away saying 'Qatar more', n that does expose Qatar again to geopolitical vulnerability."

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