International athletics will launch in Doha tomorrow a new 70-million dollar series of global meetings without the glamour of all the big names they were hoping for.
Leading attractions Kenenisa Bekele, the world's dominant distance runner, and the American 400 metres world champion Sanya Richards-Ross are injured, and the Russian Olympic pole vault gold medallist Yelena Isinbayeva is taking a break from sport.
But the huge budget has attracted most of the other world stars, including the triple Olympic sprint champion Usain Bolt, and the series pomises fast action and more head-to-head competition.
