January 25 - Doha has been asked to answer a "supplementary" question as part of the process of choosing the host city for the 2020 Olympics and Paralympics, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Jacques Rogge (pictured) has revealed.

Asked about the Qatari city's desire, if selected, to stage the Games between September 20 and October 20, outside the normal period for a Summer Olympics, and whether the IOC had accepted that this was OK in principle, Rogge told Insidethegames: "All bids will be analysed on the same criteria.

"We will then judge if they can go from the applicant phase into the candidate phase.

"For Doha there was a supplementary question – it is the temperature issue and they are producing a report.

"The report will be analysed.

"We have said that we wanted to have information on a certain number of criteria, such as timing of the events, medical measures, prevention of heat and so forth and so forth.

"If the opinion of the IOC about the supplementary report is a good one, then the period would be accepted.

"But the condition is that the report must be adopted.

"So the period is OK under condition of accepting the report."

Rogge's comments came in an exclusive interview with insidethegames in Innsbruck, where he was attending the inaugural Winter Youth Olympic Games.

In the race for the 2016 Games, Doha controversially failed to make the candidate phase of the contest, even though its bid was ranked above that of Rio de Janeiro, the eventual winner.

Qatar has since won the right to stage the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Applicant cities for the 2020 Games – which also comprise Baku, Istanbul, Madrid, Rome and Tokyo – have until February 15 to submit their application files and guarantee letters to the IOC.

The IOC's Executive Board will decide which cities will go through to the race's key Candidate phase in May.

The host city will be chosen by IOC members in Buenos Aires on September 7, 2013, at a Session that will also see the election of Rogge's successor as IOC President.

Source: www.insidethegames.biz

By David Owen