RIAYDH: Saudi Arabia’s preparations to host the 2024 World Fencing Championship were discussed by Board Chairman of the Saudi Fencing Federation Ahmed Al-Sabban and Chairman of the Technical Committee of the International Fencing Federation Ziad Ferjani on Tuesday.
The meeting was held in the presence of Abdullah Al-Sunaid, SFF’s executive director, according to a media statement, on the sidelines of the World Fencing Championship (General), which concluded in Milan on Monday.
During the meeting, Saudi Arabia’s preparations to host the 2024 World Fencing Championship for juniors and youth, to be held in April 2024, were discussed and all technical details related to the tournament were reviewed.
The meeting discussed setting dates for the IFF delegation’s visits to the Kingdom to inspect the facilities where the competitions will be held. It also discussed the visit to the accommodation for delegations, referees and training, and to check equipment for the championship, in addition to inspecting the headquarters of the international camp that will take place before the competition.
More than 1,500 male and female players will be representing upwards of 100 countries participating in the global event. Meanwhile, more than 400 people will represent the administrative and technical staff, referees and the rest of the working committees.
The announcement that Saudi Arabia had won the bid to host the 2024 World Fencing Championship was made in April in Bulgaria. The decision was taken at last November’s IFF general assembly.
International committee discusses Kingdom’s preparations for 2024 World Fencing Championship
https://arab.news/6fwx4
International committee discusses Kingdom’s preparations for 2024 World Fencing Championship
- The meeting was held on the sidelines of the World Fencing Championship, which concluded in Milan on Monday.
- The 2024 World Fencing Championship for juniors and youth will be held in April
World Cup flight, hotel bookings spike although US violence casts shadow
- Of the bookings made for the time frame of the tournament, 37 percent were in the month since the draw
- The data does not show whether more recent immigration raids in the US have had an impact on 2026 bookings
LONDON: Flight bookings to North America have spiked since the soccer World Cup match schedule was announced in December, data from travel technology firm Amadeus showed on Tuesday, with 18 percent of those reservations made by British travelers.
European travel to the United States has dipped since President Donald Trump’s election in November 2024, with many tourists deterred by greater scrutiny at border crossings.
Although a recent rise in violence tied to ICE detentions in the city of Minneapolis has amplified fears among some, data from World Cup watchers and Amadeus show that bookings are up, particularly among England and Scotland fans.
Of the bookings made for the time frame of the tournament, which will be held in the United States, Canada and Mexico from June 11 to July 19, 37 percent were in the month since the draw.
However, the data does not show whether more recent immigration raids in the US have had an impact on 2026 bookings. And a major sports event does not guarantee a travel boost to the host country, as shown by the 2024 Paris Olympics.
“The tournament is a chance to see the most talented football players in the world and fans will go almost anywhere to watch the finest, whatever the policies and politics of the host country,” said travel analyst Paul Charles.
“However, safety is a key factor too, so visitors will be hoping that calm prevails in host cities and that their travel insurance will remain valid for their planned trips in June and July,” added Charles, who is CEO of consultancy The PC Agency.
The largest spike of bookings per day was seen for the first match in New York City between Brazil and Morocco, with over 2,500 flight bookings, the Amadeus data shows.
Hotel bookings in Canada and Mexico have also risen, with the average occupancy of hotels in Mexico City on the nights ahead of three planned matches there at 21 percent, up from 4 percent for the same time last year.
