DOHA — The Peninsula, an English-language newspaper, highlighted Qatar’s preparations for hosting major sports events, including the AFC Asian Cup and the World Aquatics Championships in 2024.

According to a new release by Qatar News Agency, the paper underlined that both events have already initiated their 100-day countdowns. The AFC Asian Cup is set to take place from January 12 to February 10, 2024, and will feature 24 teams. The World Aquatics Championships is scheduled from February 2 to 18, 2024, with 2,600 elite swimmers from 190 countries confirming their participation.

The paper also reported overwhelming response to the ticket sales for the Asian Cup, noting that more than 150,000 tickets in the first batch were sold out within days. It added that fans from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and India led global ticket sales, with a total of 81,209 tickets sold within the first 24 hours of the launch on October 10.

Hosts Qatar will defend their title in the Asian Cup tournament, which features 51 matches across nine stadiums. The home side will open the event with a game against Lebanon at the Lusail Stadium, which has a capacity of approximately 88,000 spectators. Due to Qatar’s compact nature, fans can stay in one venue throughout the tournament, the farthest distance between any two stadiums being 75 kilometers, the paper pointed out.

For the World Aquatics Championships, events will take place at the Aspire Dome, Hamad Aquatic Centre, and Old Doha Port, featuring 75 medal events across six aquatic sports. Ticket sales for this event are already underway, with the opening ceremony scheduled for February 4, 2024, at the Aspire Dome.