EYES ON CHINA GOLD - Qatar Olympic Committee
EYES ON CHINA GOLD - Qatar Olympic Committee
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<strong>Qatar</strong>Sport<br />
Q3.2008<br />
the official magazine of the qatar olympic committee<br />
qatar’s stars<br />
bound for<br />
beijing<br />
eyes<br />
on<br />
china<br />
gold<br />
GAME <strong>ON</strong>!<br />
WORLD CUP SUCCESS<br />
FOR QATAR<br />
JUMP FOR JOY<br />
IRISH RIDER WINS<br />
DOHA SHOW<br />
THE BIG INTERVIEW<br />
GEORGE O’GRADY
Maroon<br />
qatarsport.Q3.08.contents<br />
Grey<br />
Silver Metalic<br />
04 QOC Comment Message from the Secretary General<br />
05 News 2010 World Cup Qualifiers<br />
10 The Emir’s Cup More than a match<br />
12 Exhibitions Life - Be Part of it!<br />
14 Beijing 2008 History in the making<br />
24 Stars in <strong>Qatar</strong> Ireland’s Show Jumping sensation<br />
26 Partners in Sport QNB’s sponsorship portfolio<br />
29 Health & Society Aspetar sets new standards<br />
31 Sports Calendar Highlights of the sporting season<br />
33 World Rankings The best of the best<br />
34 The Big Interview European PGA chief George O’Grady<br />
No article in this publication or part thereof may be reproduced without proper permission and full acknowledgement of the source:<br />
<strong>Qatar</strong> Sport, a publication of the <strong>Qatar</strong> <strong>Olympic</strong> <strong>Committee</strong>.<br />
© <strong>Qatar</strong> <strong>Olympic</strong> <strong>Committee</strong>, 2008.<br />
www.olympic.qa<br />
qoc@olympic.qa<br />
Designed and produced for the <strong>Qatar</strong> <strong>Olympic</strong> <strong>Committee</strong> by SportBusiness Group, London.<br />
Maroon<br />
Grey<br />
Silver Meta<br />
Cover photo: supplied by the QOC<br />
Q3.08 <strong>Qatar</strong>Sport 3
Sheikh Saoud Bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, Secretary General, <strong>Qatar</strong> <strong>Olympic</strong> <strong>Committee</strong><br />
Welcome...<br />
Like people the world over, we are eagerly looking<br />
forward to the <strong>Olympic</strong> Games.<br />
This summer over 10,000 athletes and officials and a<br />
further 20,000 media representatives will be in Beijing to<br />
celebrate sport, life and humanity in what has come to<br />
be known as The Greatest Show On Earth.<br />
The Opening ceremony is set to become the most<br />
watched programme in the history of television with<br />
nearly 2 billion people around the world tuning<br />
in. That surely underscores the global importance<br />
of these Games.<br />
The <strong>Olympic</strong> Games represents the pinnacle of every<br />
competitor’s sports career. They may set new records and<br />
even win world championships but, in most sports, an<br />
<strong>Olympic</strong> Gold medal is the ultimate goal.<br />
“The values of sport and fair play are<br />
more important than the barriers<br />
of nationality and politics”<br />
That is why I am delighted that <strong>Qatar</strong> will send<br />
its biggest ever delegation to the Beijing Games. Six<br />
federations - Athletics (Track and Field) Archery, Fencing,<br />
Swimming Shooting and Taekwondo - are sending<br />
competitors and our nation will also be represented in<br />
the Paralympic Games.<br />
In many respects, the <strong>Olympic</strong> Games provide an<br />
indicator of how far sport in <strong>Qatar</strong> has come and how<br />
quickly it is developing. It is a credit to the federations,<br />
their coaches and officials that we are sending more<br />
competitors to the Games than ever before and there is<br />
also a belief that <strong>Qatar</strong>i athletes have a genuine chance of<br />
winning medals in a number of events.<br />
That is a real mark of progress for everybody involved<br />
in sport in <strong>Qatar</strong> and a tribute to the inspiration and<br />
leadership of HH the Emir.<br />
The <strong>Olympic</strong> Games will provide inspiration for a<br />
generation of youngsters watching around the world<br />
and I am sure that the performance of our athletes<br />
will encourage <strong>Qatar</strong>i youngsters to emulate them, by<br />
showing them that by recognising and developing your<br />
talents, anything is possible.<br />
The importance of the <strong>Olympic</strong> Games is heightened<br />
in <strong>Qatar</strong> because of the central role of sport in our<br />
country. The <strong>Qatar</strong> <strong>Olympic</strong> <strong>Committee</strong> (QOC) is<br />
responsible not only for the team which represents <strong>Qatar</strong><br />
in Beijing but for all aspects of sporting life. (QOC)<br />
is the clear link between the medal hopefuls in China<br />
and the youngsters taking their first sporting steps as<br />
participants in our schools <strong>Olympic</strong> Day programme.<br />
It is what connects the major international events<br />
which are staged in our country and the thousands of<br />
men, women and children who take part in the Aspire<br />
Active programme.<br />
We are confident that the people of <strong>Qatar</strong> will provide<br />
fantastic support to our athletes and those of other<br />
nations during the <strong>Olympic</strong> Games but the <strong>Olympic</strong><br />
<strong>Committee</strong> is determined that the focus on sport does<br />
not end with the closing ceremony.<br />
Our role is continue to provide the facilities, coaches<br />
and stimulus to encourage every <strong>Qatar</strong>i and <strong>Qatar</strong><br />
resident to make sport part of their lives, not simply as<br />
spectators but as participants.<br />
Not everybody will ever run a marathon, fewer still will<br />
complete the 100 metres in under 10 seconds. Not all of<br />
us can be a top class footballer or win a tennis title.<br />
But sport is amazingly diverse and offers most people,<br />
irrespective of age or gender, an opportunity to participate,<br />
to be part of a new and stimulating community and enjoy<br />
the health benefits of a more active lifestyle.<br />
The <strong>Olympic</strong> Games are the embodiment of sport’s<br />
role in life and goes beyond the arena itself. Despite the<br />
fact that the world is an intensely complicated place, the<br />
<strong>Olympic</strong> Games represents a willingness to embrace a<br />
spirit of togetherness, where the values of sport and fair<br />
play are more important than the barriers of nationality<br />
and politics.<br />
Those are the values at the heart of the <strong>Qatar</strong><br />
<strong>Olympic</strong> <strong>Committee</strong> and which drive our unchanging<br />
policy to become a welcoming host to the world’s major<br />
sports events.<br />
In the spirit of sport I would like to wish the<br />
Beijing Organising <strong>Committee</strong>, the Chinese <strong>Olympic</strong><br />
<strong>Committee</strong> and every participating <strong>Olympic</strong> <strong>Committee</strong><br />
enjoyable and successful Games.<br />
Saoud Bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani<br />
Secretary General. <strong>Qatar</strong> <strong>Olympic</strong> <strong>Committee</strong><br />
4 <strong>Qatar</strong>Sport Q3.08
Q3.08.news<br />
A last ditch win against Iraq<br />
has given fresh impetus to<br />
QATAR’s World Cup 2010<br />
qualifying campaign<br />
World cup<br />
campaign<br />
back on<br />
track<br />
<strong>Qatar</strong> has been drawn in a Group A with Australia,<br />
Japan, Bahrain and Uzbekistan as the 2010 FIFA World<br />
Cup Asian Zone qualifying tournament reaches its<br />
final group stages.<br />
Qualification for the last 10 was sealed in dramatic<br />
style on June 22 when the boys in maroon triumphed in<br />
a must-win preliminary group match against the 2007<br />
Asian Champions Iraq.<br />
Held in Dubai as a ‘home’ game for Iraq, striker,<br />
Saeed Al Bashir scored the only goal of a nerve-jangling<br />
encounter in the 77th minute, raising <strong>Qatar</strong>’s points tally<br />
to 10, to finish in second place behind Australia.<br />
“It was very tense out there,” admitted <strong>Qatar</strong>’s<br />
Uruguayan coach Jorge Fossati after the match. “But<br />
my players played according to plan. It was extremely<br />
pleasing to see how they performed with their backs to<br />
the wall.<br />
“We [also] managed to defeat our critics - and the<br />
entire football hierarchy [in <strong>Qatar</strong>] deserves to celebrate<br />
this great win.”<br />
Fossati added that he has faith in his players to<br />
deliver the goods in the next stage of qualifying. “I am<br />
very optimistic about our chances because my players<br />
have shown tremendous spirit in the last few months.<br />
We have beaten some strong sides this year and have<br />
learned a lot along the way. Our next target is reach the<br />
World Cup finals.”<br />
Commenting on <strong>Qatar</strong>’s prospects of reaching the<br />
finals after the draw, President of the <strong>Qatar</strong> Football<br />
Association, HE Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Bin Ahmed<br />
Al-Thani, added: “Group A includes teams of a high<br />
technical level and great reputation in Asia, but [I<br />
believe] <strong>Qatar</strong> will compete strongly to qualify for the<br />
finals in South Africa.”<br />
In Group B, South Korea, Iran and Saudi Arabia,<br />
which all qualified for the last World Cup in 2006, will<br />
battle North Korea and the United Arab Emirates for the<br />
right to play in South Africa.<br />
The first and second places of each group qualify<br />
directly for the finals, while the third placed teams will<br />
play-off against each other for the right to take on the<br />
winner of the Oceania Confederation for the final place.<br />
The two groups will be contested on a home and away<br />
basis between September 2008 and June 2009. <strong>Qatar</strong> will<br />
face Uzbekistan in Doha on September 6 in the opening<br />
match. The second encounter will be against Bahrain on<br />
September 10, in Manama, while their third match will<br />
be against Australia on November 15, in Australia.<br />
<strong>Qatar</strong>’s crucial 1-0 win<br />
against Iraq sparked<br />
celebrations among<br />
<strong>Qatar</strong>i fans in the<br />
stadium and joyous<br />
scenes on the pitch as<br />
manager Jorge Fossati<br />
congratulated his players<br />
after the final whistle.<br />
Q3.08 <strong>Qatar</strong>Sport 5
News<br />
in Brief<br />
Young <strong>Qatar</strong>i athletes<br />
brought home three gold<br />
medals from the 13th Asian<br />
Youth Athletics Championship in<br />
Jakarta, Indonesia, in June. Charles<br />
Bit Koksh bagged gold in 1500m<br />
event and then on the closing day,<br />
added gold in the 5000m. Musab<br />
Abdulrahman Balah won gold in<br />
the 800m. The competition saw the<br />
participation of 600 athletes from 36<br />
Asian countries<br />
<strong>Qatar</strong>’s Abdullah Koni<br />
has joined the fifth list of<br />
contenders for the AFC<br />
Player of the Year. The procedure<br />
for selecting the best player in Asia<br />
has been overhauled to inject more<br />
transparency into the process with the<br />
big announcement scheduled to be<br />
made at the awards gala on November<br />
25 in Shanghai. Thirteen players have<br />
been short-listed for the award.<br />
The <strong>Qatar</strong> Tennis Federation<br />
(QTF) has held outdoor<br />
training camps to prepare its<br />
national team for youth competitions<br />
in Arab Championships in Tunisia,<br />
Morocco and Egypt as well as Open<br />
Championships in Portugal and Spain.<br />
Khalid Al Khulaifi, the QTF Board<br />
Member and Head of National Teams<br />
<strong>Committee</strong> wants the young players to<br />
gain more experience abroad.<br />
The <strong>Qatar</strong> Basketball<br />
team will participate in the<br />
King Abdullah Basketball<br />
Championship to be held from July 25<br />
to August 3, 2008 in Amman, Jordan.<br />
<strong>Qatar</strong>’s participation in the event will<br />
come prepare the team for the Asian<br />
Basketball Championship to be held<br />
in Kuwait in October and the GCC<br />
Basketball Championship to be held<br />
in Oman.<br />
<strong>Qatar</strong>’s Bandar Al Shafi<br />
won the title of 34th Hong<br />
Kong Bowling Open beating<br />
China’s Wang Tyn in the final match.<br />
Al-Shafi defeated compatriots Saeed<br />
Al-Hajri and Mubarak Al-Muraikhi in<br />
the opening rounds to set up a semifinal<br />
with 2006 World Championship<br />
Masters champion Biboy Rivera.<br />
<strong>Qatar</strong>’s new waterpark will feature a slalom course.<br />
Doha goes to<br />
the extreme<br />
It’s one of the fastest growing participation<br />
sport sectors – and now it looks to get its very<br />
own venue in <strong>Qatar</strong>.<br />
Extreme sports have taken the world by<br />
storm in recent years, with the exhilarating,<br />
thrill-seeking athletes taking activities off the<br />
streets and into the mainstream.<br />
9-BALL Pool makes STUNNING DEbut<br />
Ian Anderson, President of the World Pool-<br />
Billard Association, has hailed the success<br />
of the <strong>Qatar</strong> International Open 9-Ball<br />
Championship, which was organised by the<br />
<strong>Qatar</strong> Billiard and Snooker Federation (QBSF)<br />
from June 27 to July 5.<br />
Anderson thanked the QBSF’s warm<br />
hospitality and praised its high organisational<br />
skills in hosting this major event, which saw<br />
more than 200 cueists from around the world<br />
descend on Doha to compete for a total prize<br />
money of $400,000.<br />
Ibrahim Abdulaziz Al Sahlawi, President of<br />
the QBSF, added his appreciation of the <strong>Qatar</strong><br />
<strong>Olympic</strong> <strong>Committee</strong> for encouraging QBSF<br />
activities and promoting the game among<br />
<strong>Qatar</strong>’s younger generation.<br />
Arab countries were represented by 88<br />
players in the preliminary rounds, with the<br />
hosts <strong>Qatar</strong> putting forward 30 hopefuls.<br />
It was the top stars from Europe, the USA<br />
and the rest of Asia, however which dominated<br />
events on the blue baize.<br />
The main round of 32, which took place at<br />
the Snooker Federation Hall, saw a number of<br />
international stars make their move.<br />
Now there are plans afoot to capitalise on<br />
its rise with a state-of-the-art extreme sports<br />
complex to be build at the Aspire Sports City.<br />
Among its features will be a water park and a<br />
slalom course, ideal for canoeing and kayaking.<br />
And that’s not all. There are also plans in<br />
the pipeline for the Middle East’s first indoor<br />
football dome too.<br />
Dubbed the <strong>Qatar</strong> Dome, it is designed to<br />
create year-round opportunities to stage major<br />
competitive matches in a bid to boost interest<br />
and participation levels in the sport.<br />
According to the <strong>Qatar</strong> <strong>Olympic</strong><br />
<strong>Committee</strong>, the plans will meet the long-term<br />
needs of the community and further advance<br />
sport in Doha.<br />
The proposed extreme sports and football<br />
venues are also part of the QOC’s ambitious<br />
‘Masterplan for Venue Development’ which is<br />
designed to ensure <strong>Qatar</strong>’s sports facilities are<br />
among the best in the world, attracting major<br />
events while proving attractive and accessible<br />
for the local population.<br />
Other facilities being discussed include a<br />
new swimming centre at the Al Gharrafa Club<br />
and a multi-purpose sports complex at the<br />
Shaffallah Centre<br />
Double world champion, Efren ‘Bata’ Reyes<br />
of the Philippines, a legend of the sport, was<br />
beaten by Germany’s Ralf Souquet in the early<br />
stages - a defeat that was avenged by fellow<br />
countryman Dennis Orcollo in the semi-finals.<br />
In the final, Orcollo took on the Dutchman<br />
Niels Feijen, and opened up an early lead,<br />
which he maintained to take the title 13-5.<br />
According to the hosts, the event had<br />
been a great learning experience for the local<br />
players and after the tournament, the QBSF<br />
announced that a <strong>Qatar</strong>i team will participate<br />
in the inaugural World 10-Ball Championship<br />
in Manila, capital of the Philippines, from<br />
October 6-12, 2008.<br />
6 <strong>Qatar</strong>Sport Q3.08
Q3.08.news<br />
The International Volleyball<br />
Federation (FIVB) has announced<br />
that <strong>Qatar</strong> will play host to the FIVB World<br />
Club Volleyball Championships in 2009. The top five<br />
clubs from each continent will participate in the Championship as<br />
well as the national champion of the host country and two wild card teams,<br />
which will be agreed by the FIVB before the tournament.<br />
The World Club Championships will be based upon a unique format in<br />
<strong>Qatar</strong> to hold volleyball<br />
Championships<br />
which the sport will take on rules that are more favourable to producing longer<br />
rallies and a more fluid style of play.<br />
The Volleyball Golden Formula (VGF) is a concept devised by <strong>Qatar</strong> Volleyball<br />
Association (QVBA) technical director, Hussein Imam Ali, and approved by the<br />
FIVB to make the sport more appealing.<br />
“The most admired scoring points that draw cheers from the fans are those<br />
featuring lengthy rallies as they are full of action and hold them in tension,”<br />
said Ali, who is also a member of the FIVB Coaches Commission. “The<br />
VGF concept will restore equality in the attack and defence, in a sport<br />
which is presently heavily loaded in favour of attack.<br />
“The important constituent of this rule is that the opening<br />
attack is allowed only from the three metre line. Tall players are<br />
only a small number in the world and are slower in movement<br />
and agility. The use of the VGF in a match will allow the<br />
significant number of players of medium height to play a<br />
bigger role with their skill.”<br />
Following a recent meeting in Lucerne,<br />
Switzerland, the FIVB confirmed that the<br />
World Club Championships should be<br />
reinstated after a seven-year gap. The<br />
new tournament style of play is<br />
expected to usher in a new era of<br />
volleyball on an international level<br />
and offer an alternative style of play to<br />
the traditional discipline currently practiced. The decision to reinstate the Championships was<br />
based primarily upon test events that were conducted the previous year in Doha in conjunction<br />
with the national volleyball championships. The test events were held at several local sporting<br />
venues in Doha including Al Ahli, Al Rayyan, <strong>Qatar</strong> Sports Club and Al Arabi. Al Ahli Club was<br />
victorious in the VGF tournament conducted last year where Sandy Steel, President, FIVB Rules<br />
of the Game Commission, was present to supervise the tournament.<br />
The dates and venues of the Men’s World Club Championships to be staged in Doha will<br />
be announced during next month’s FIVB congress when they convene in Dubai, however Al<br />
Jazeera Sport has already been announced as the host broadcaster. The Women’s World Club<br />
Championships will be held in the UAE.<br />
Q2.08 <strong>Qatar</strong>Sport 7
News<br />
in Brief<br />
ASPIRE students earn<br />
their wings at the<br />
graduation ceremony.<br />
<strong>Qatar</strong>’s Nasser Saleh<br />
Al-Attiyah along with<br />
Northern Irish co-driver<br />
Chris Patterson dominated the FIA<br />
Middle East Rally Championship,<br />
when they won 12 of the 13 special<br />
stages of the 8th Syrian International<br />
Rally. The defending regional<br />
champions began the final day<br />
almost four minutes in front of their<br />
nearest rivals and produced great<br />
performance over the fast gravel<br />
stages that make the Syrian event<br />
one of the most challenging in the<br />
Middle East. The duo’s winning<br />
margin was a staggering 5 minutes<br />
and 20.7 seconds.<br />
Aspire inspires<br />
first graduates<br />
The current men’s 3,000m<br />
steeplechase world record<br />
holder, <strong>Qatar</strong>’s Saif Saeed<br />
Shaheen secured the silver medal<br />
at 5000m during a comeback race<br />
in Belgrade, Serbia in May - his<br />
first race since September 17,<br />
2006 when he won the World Cup<br />
steeplechase. Due to injuries, he was<br />
not able to run during the whole of<br />
2007 and missed the Osaka World<br />
Championships. The athlete will<br />
compete at the Beijing <strong>Olympic</strong><br />
Games for <strong>Qatar</strong>.<br />
Al Ahli on Friday night<br />
beat Al Sadd, 29-28, in the<br />
Emir’s Cup handball final<br />
at Al Gharrafa Hall. Al Sadd were<br />
aiming to win their eighth Emir’s Cup<br />
title, but Al Ahli denied them at the<br />
final hurdle by juts one point. Sheikh<br />
Saoud bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani,<br />
Secretary General of the <strong>Qatar</strong><br />
<strong>Olympic</strong> <strong>Committee</strong>, handed over<br />
the trophies to the winners and the<br />
runners-up at a spectacular prize<br />
giving ceremony.<br />
Q-League champions Al<br />
Gharaffa have signed a<br />
two–year contract with<br />
Fernando Lucio da Costa, a proven<br />
goal scorer from the Brazilian club<br />
Internacional. The 30-year-old was<br />
joint top scorer in the 2006 Copa<br />
Libertadores and voted Man of the<br />
Match in the South American final<br />
which was won by Internacional.<br />
<strong>Qatar</strong>’s ASPIRE Academy has celebrated<br />
a milestone with the graduation of its first<br />
student intake.<br />
The graduation ceremony marked a<br />
historic moment for the Academy, with the<br />
students - some of who joined at the age of<br />
thirteen years old - moving on to further<br />
education, vocational training and even full<br />
athletic careers.<br />
In total, 23 successful students graduated<br />
at the ceremony, the majority of whom joined<br />
the Academy in 2004 following its launch.<br />
Experts from ASPIRE’s Quality<br />
Management, Education and Social Affairs<br />
Department (QESA) have ensured that the<br />
young men have been provided with a fullyrounded<br />
program of learning, both in and out<br />
of the class room.<br />
Among the graduates are students who<br />
have specialised in football, table tennis,<br />
athletics, swimming and squash. All of them<br />
have balanced a busy sporting schedule<br />
with diligent study and education across an<br />
advanced curriculum.<br />
Guest of honour at the Graduation<br />
Ceremony was ASPIRE Ambassador and<br />
triple world record holder Hicham El<br />
Guerrouj of Morocco.<br />
The double <strong>Olympic</strong> champion, who<br />
broke world records for the 1,500 meters, the<br />
mile and 2,000 meters, spoke to the students<br />
about the importance of study and dedication<br />
as part of a successful career in athletics.<br />
“Internationally, ASPIRE is recognised<br />
as a pioneering project to discover and<br />
develop world-class athletic talent in<br />
<strong>Qatar</strong>,” El Guerrouj said. “The students<br />
who have graduated today were among<br />
the first pioneers, and they deserve our<br />
congratulations and support.”<br />
ASPIRE’s Career Management<br />
programmes provide guidance throughout<br />
students’ time at ASPIRE, ensuring that every<br />
student athlete leaving the Academy possesses<br />
a professional or academic career plan<br />
consistent with his capabilities and interests.<br />
Many of the successful students have<br />
developed exceptional aptitude in their<br />
chosen sporting field. Class valedictorian<br />
Ahmed Khalil addressed his fellow student<br />
athletes at the ceremony, and urged them to<br />
continue to train and develop their skills.<br />
Ahmed Khalil said: “The graduating<br />
class of 2008 all look to make the best<br />
possible contribution to <strong>Qatar</strong>, whether as<br />
sportspeople or in our future careers. ASPIRE<br />
has given us a very strong start by providing<br />
us with both sporting development and<br />
education - we now need to ensure that we<br />
build on this platform.”<br />
Since its opening, the Academy has<br />
successfully created an environment that<br />
supports the student athletes, and the success<br />
of the graduates is an important benchmark<br />
for the Academy’s growth.<br />
Prof. Dr. Dieter Hackfort, Dean of<br />
ASPIRE said: “Each and every student has<br />
made remarkable progress during their time<br />
with us in their personal development and<br />
in achieving success both academically and<br />
in their chosen sport. These students will<br />
be an inspirational example and will induce<br />
motivation to other students at ASPIRE, and<br />
to other young athletes in the region.”<br />
The students, he said, have competed in<br />
national and international tournaments across<br />
the world, giving them an understanding of<br />
competing at the highest level.<br />
8 <strong>Qatar</strong>Sport Q3.08
Q3.08.news<br />
olympic<br />
support<br />
wins award<br />
Former International <strong>Olympic</strong><br />
<strong>Committee</strong> (IOC) president Juan Antonio<br />
Samaranch presented one of <strong>Qatar</strong>’s<br />
leading sport administrators with a special<br />
award in May to recognise his and his<br />
hard-working team’s efforts in supporting<br />
the <strong>Olympic</strong> Movement.<br />
Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman<br />
Al-Thani, Secretary General of the<br />
<strong>Qatar</strong> <strong>Olympic</strong> <strong>Committee</strong> (QOC),<br />
was presented with the 2007 IOC<br />
Award during a recent visit to the IOC’s<br />
headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland.<br />
The award is presented to individuals<br />
who have shown continued support<br />
to the ideals and aims of the <strong>Olympic</strong><br />
organisation and recognises the giant steps<br />
taken in recent years by the QOC.<br />
Among its various initiatives and<br />
programmes it has launched to both<br />
highlight the key ideals of the <strong>Olympic</strong><br />
Movement and enhance the role the<br />
QOC plays in society have been schemes<br />
designed to reach out to the very youngest<br />
in communities.<br />
Among those was Schools <strong>Olympic</strong><br />
Day. Launched in 2007, its mission<br />
HE Sheikh Saoud receives his award from IOC Honorary President Juan Antonio Samaranch.<br />
statement was to “Create an event to<br />
educate, engage and influence young<br />
athletes inspiring them to play an active<br />
role in the local community”.<br />
Open to talented young athletes<br />
from local schools, it showcased the best<br />
emerging young talent in a range of<br />
sports including gymnastics, swimming,<br />
basketball, football and volleyball.<br />
Hailed a huge success, and culminating<br />
in a grand finals day where laptops were up<br />
for grabs for the successful youngsters, it<br />
proved so popular the IOC has since decided<br />
it is going to look to introduce it to other<br />
national <strong>Olympic</strong> committees elsewhere.<br />
In addition, physical education in<br />
schools was upgraded to become an<br />
obligatory subject in a bid to improve the<br />
overall health and well-being of the young<br />
generation. And it was the continuing<br />
support to other NOCs, which helped<br />
land the recent IOC Award.<br />
In particular, was a recent delegation<br />
sent to Yemen. They were despatched to<br />
help the Yemen <strong>Olympic</strong> <strong>Committee</strong> in<br />
their preparations up to and including<br />
the 2012 <strong>Olympic</strong> Games in London.<br />
Juan Antonio Samaranch made the<br />
presentation in his capacity as Honorary<br />
President of the IOC.<br />
asian games best FOR MEDIA SERVICES<br />
Members of the<br />
media from all over<br />
the world enjoyed<br />
unparalleled<br />
service at the 15th<br />
Asian Games.<br />
Media services delivered at the<br />
15th Asian Games in Doha have been<br />
voted among the best in the world in<br />
2006/07 by the International Sport Press<br />
Association (AIPS).<br />
The Asian Games were singled out for<br />
awards along with the Wimbledon Tennis<br />
Championships and the 11th IAAF World<br />
Athletics Championships in Osaka, Japan.<br />
The Asian Games is the second largest<br />
multi-sports event in world sport with<br />
more than 8,000 athletes competing in 39<br />
sports over 15 days presenting a complex<br />
organisational and delivery challenge for<br />
the two outsourced companies, contracted<br />
by the Doha Asian Games Organising<br />
<strong>Committee</strong>, to serve the world’s media<br />
during the event.<br />
Q3.08 <strong>Qatar</strong>Sport 9
A visiting delegation<br />
from the Asian Football<br />
Confederation (AFC)<br />
has endorsed <strong>Qatar</strong>’s venues and<br />
facilities for the 2011 Asian Football<br />
Cup, said Saoud Al Mohannadi,<br />
Secretary General of <strong>Qatar</strong> Football<br />
Association. “The AFC Competitions<br />
<strong>Committee</strong> visited stadiums, training<br />
fields and the media centre and were<br />
impressed with the facilities and<br />
arrangements,” he said.<br />
<strong>Qatar</strong>i sprinter Thamir<br />
Nasser and middle<br />
distance runner Musab<br />
Abdulrahman Balah won silver<br />
medals at the 13th Arab Youth<br />
Athletic Championship held in<br />
Tunisia. Young <strong>Qatar</strong>i women<br />
also competed in the event with<br />
the objective of increasing their<br />
experience at international arena,<br />
said Mariam Al Ishaq, Administrator<br />
of the <strong>Qatar</strong> Women Athletes team.<br />
The <strong>Qatar</strong> military<br />
taekwondo team won<br />
three medals - one gold<br />
and two bronzes - at the 3rd Arab<br />
Military Taekwondo Championship<br />
held in Sanaa, Yemen in June.<br />
Abdullgadir Al Adhami won gold in<br />
the 84kg event, while Fahad Ahmed<br />
Ali Mohammed Saad finished with<br />
bronze the 67kg and 54kg events<br />
respectively.<br />
<strong>Qatar</strong>i women’s air rifle<br />
star Mahbubeh Akhlagi<br />
won gold medals in both<br />
the 10m and 50m events during<br />
the <strong>Qatar</strong> Shooting and Archery<br />
Federation’s Cup Championship,<br />
organised by the QSAF and held at<br />
the Lusail International Complex.<br />
More than just<br />
a match<br />
This year’s Emir’s Cup Final proved as thrilling off the<br />
pitch as on it as the <strong>Qatar</strong> Football Association (QFA) put<br />
on a range of entertainment to turn the match into a<br />
community event<br />
Two-time world pool<br />
champion, Efren Reyes<br />
of Philippines, has<br />
praised the organisation of the<br />
<strong>Qatar</strong> International Open 9-Ball<br />
Championship held at the <strong>Qatar</strong><br />
Billiard and Snooker Federation.<br />
Reyes 53, said he appreciated the<br />
technical quality and organisational<br />
work behind the tournament.<br />
As fans flocked to watch Al Gharrafa and<br />
Umm Salal battle it out for victory on the pitch<br />
- and a place in the AFC Champions League<br />
for 2009 - the QFA looked to capitalise on the<br />
sport’s growing interest levels.<br />
In a bid to boost both the numbers of<br />
spectators at the match and at future games,<br />
and to encourage a new generation to<br />
participate in football, there were more than<br />
20 activities lined-up to encourage the party<br />
atmosphere outside Khalifa Stadium in the<br />
Aspire Zone, Doha.<br />
Coined the Cup Emiri Festival, fans were<br />
treated to a host of activities ranging from<br />
poetry recitals and circus acts to musical<br />
numbers and magic tricks.<br />
Ali Al-Nuaimi, the QFA’s Assistant General<br />
Secretary explained: “It was more than just a<br />
match. We wanted to share the occasion with as<br />
many people as possible. We wanted to provide<br />
10 <strong>Qatar</strong>Sport Q3.08
Q3.08.news<br />
“this emir’S cup<br />
final was one<br />
of the most<br />
colourful and<br />
noisy we have<br />
ever seen ”<br />
A day of dramatic action on the pitch<br />
saw Umm Salal clinch the Emir’s<br />
Cup, while the entertainment off the<br />
pitch turned the Cup final into a<br />
memorable all-day event for the fans.<br />
a unique flavour to the final.<br />
“Our strategy was very much around<br />
community involvement and we spoke at<br />
length to our sponsors so we could partner<br />
with them in their promotional activities<br />
around the event.<br />
“It was a day to celebrate and unite.<br />
What we wanted to achieve was that<br />
everyone who left the stadium came away<br />
with a fantastic and long lasting impression.<br />
We put in a lot of hard work to ensure<br />
this Emir Cup final was one of the most<br />
colourful and noisy we have ever seen.”<br />
Among the line-up entertaining the<br />
crowds were poets such as Mohammad bin<br />
Fates Al-Marri and Khalil Al-Tamimi. The<br />
well known <strong>Qatar</strong>i poets gave recitals.<br />
One of the most popular attractions was<br />
the chance for fans to win one of 20 Toyota<br />
vehicles in a special competition.<br />
The motor manufacturer had models<br />
such as two Land Cruisers, one Avalon,<br />
three Camrys and 12 Yaris up for grabs.<br />
In order for the thousands of fans to<br />
enjoy the events gates opened at 3pm<br />
– some four hours before the teams got<br />
the game underway. And after the game<br />
finished, there was a colourful laser and<br />
firework display.<br />
All of which was the perfect icing on the<br />
cake, for a game which proved to be a real<br />
cliff-hanger.<br />
With Al Gharrafa looking to complete a<br />
league and cup double, they took the lead,<br />
only to be pegged back by Umm Salal.<br />
With the game tied at 1-1 in the first half,<br />
two more goals before full-time saw the 90<br />
minutes finish with the scores level at 2-2.<br />
After extra-time could not separate the<br />
sides, it went to penalties where Umm Salal<br />
emerged victorious, scoring four penalties to<br />
Al Gharrafa's one.<br />
They were awarded with the golden<br />
trophy by HH The Emir Sheikh Hamad Bin<br />
Khalifa Al-Thani.<br />
QOC H<strong>ON</strong>OURS SPORTING<br />
PERS<strong>ON</strong>ALITIES<br />
The <strong>Qatar</strong> <strong>Olympic</strong> <strong>Committee</strong> (QOC) has<br />
honoured the country’s top sporting talent<br />
with awards for outstanding achievements<br />
in the season 2007–2008.<br />
HE Sheikh Saoud Bin Abdulrahman Al<br />
Thani, Secretary General of <strong>Qatar</strong> <strong>Olympic</strong><br />
<strong>Committee</strong> (QOC) led the awards celebrating<br />
more than 50 leading sportsmen and<br />
women, teams, federations and sponsors,<br />
voted for by members of the national media.<br />
The ceremony held at the Al Rostah<br />
Hall in the Diplomatic Club witnessed<br />
participation of <strong>Qatar</strong>’s best athletes and<br />
personalities including Deputy Premier<br />
and Minister of Energy and Industry – HE<br />
Abdullah Bin Hamad Al Attiyah who received<br />
the ‘Pioneers’ award. The <strong>Qatar</strong> women’s<br />
basketball team, winners of the gold medal<br />
at this year’s 11th Pan Arab Games, won the<br />
‘Appreciation Cup’ for the best sports team.<br />
For the federations, the <strong>Qatar</strong> Shooting<br />
and Archery Federation, received the<br />
‘Golden Federation Cup’, while the <strong>Qatar</strong><br />
Volleyball Association, was awarded the<br />
‘Ideal Association Cup’.<br />
The ‘Best National Coach Cup’ was<br />
granted to Abdullghadir Mughaiseeb, coach<br />
of Al Sailiya Sport Club, while the <strong>Qatar</strong><br />
national volleyball team coach, the Croatian<br />
Igor Arbutina, was selected as the ‘Best<br />
Foreign Coach’ based on the team’s gold<br />
medal showing at the last Arab Games in<br />
Cairo. <strong>Qatar</strong> National Bank from the public<br />
sector received the ‘Sport Sponsor Cup’,<br />
while Al Emmadi Enterprises from the<br />
private sector received the same accolade.<br />
Q3.08 <strong>Qatar</strong>Sport 11
o o o o o o o o o<br />
LIFE - Be<br />
part of it!<br />
The <strong>Qatar</strong> <strong>Olympic</strong> <strong>Committee</strong><br />
has high hopes for the second<br />
‘LIFE – Be Part of it!’ sports and<br />
lifestyle exhibition, which will<br />
celebrate a range of new Ideas<br />
and productS FOR ALL ITS PEOPLE<br />
in Doha this October<br />
A dynamic lifestyle exhibition aimed at showcasing<br />
<strong>Qatar</strong>’s growing reputation as a regional sport hub and<br />
spreading sports culture throughout the Middle East will<br />
welcome the sports industry and general public through<br />
its doors in October this year.<br />
Under the patronage of the <strong>Qatar</strong> <strong>Olympic</strong> <strong>Committee</strong>,<br />
the ‘LIFE - Be Part of it’ exhibition is expected to attract at<br />
least 120 world-class exhibitors and 8,000 visitors to the<br />
Doha Exhibition Centre over four days [October 15 to<br />
18] for what has become the region’s largest sports, health<br />
and fitness show.<br />
Building on the success of last year’s inaugural event, the<br />
2008 edition will be run by the QOC in collaboration<br />
with <strong>Qatar</strong>Expo, an event management group, which aims<br />
to advance the level of regional and international<br />
participation in the event.<br />
“Commenting on the ambition and scope of this year’s<br />
‘LIFE - Be Part of it!’, QOC Secretary General Sheikh<br />
Saoud Bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani told ‘The Peninsula’<br />
newspaper. “We want to show the world that Doha is the<br />
sports capital of the region. Since sport is a way of life for<br />
us, we would like to take this feeling around Middle East<br />
and the rest of Asia. “<br />
According to Sheikh Saoud the exhibition will spread<br />
this message in more ways than one. “The QOC’s motto is<br />
‘Sport for Life’ and we are pleased that we are in a position<br />
to engage National <strong>Olympic</strong> <strong>Committee</strong>s in the region<br />
and other well-established sports associations or federations<br />
for the exhibition. I hope we will be able to host what<br />
should be the biggest sports exhibition not just in the<br />
Middle East but in Asia as well.”<br />
When asked about international brands and organisations<br />
likely to take part in the exhibition, Sheikh Saoud added:<br />
“We will invite all major sports brand names like adidas,<br />
Nike, Puma - and many others - to our exhibition. This<br />
exhibition will not only look at companies promoting<br />
their brand names, but we are also focusing on general<br />
fitness, equipment and sports medicine.”<br />
The encouragement of healthy living is another major<br />
component of the exhibition. “We decided to be part of<br />
this exhibition knowing how important it is to have a<br />
healthy generation, which believes in the importance of<br />
sports in their daily lives,” Sheikh Saoud said.<br />
Moreover, the organisers believe that this year’s<br />
exhibition will be even bigger and better than last year’s<br />
event. Visitors to the exhibition, for example, will<br />
view a large selection of sports equipment from than 10<br />
sports equipment providers, discover the latest trends<br />
SHOWCASE<br />
FOR THE<br />
NEXT<br />
GENERATI<strong>ON</strong><br />
Child’s play...this year’s<br />
‘Life - Be Part of it!’<br />
exhibition aims to show<br />
that Doha is the sports<br />
capital of the region.<br />
12 <strong>Qatar</strong>Sport Q3.08
Exhibition Zones<br />
Sports & Fitness Zone:<br />
Interactive Zone<br />
Sports Associations<br />
Government Bodies<br />
Sports TV channels<br />
Sports Magazines<br />
Sports equipment<br />
Sportswear<br />
The Natural<br />
Health Zone:<br />
Health food,<br />
supplements<br />
and<br />
beverages<br />
Herbal and<br />
natural<br />
health<br />
remedies<br />
Dietary and herbal<br />
supplements<br />
Vitamins<br />
Organic food and<br />
beverages<br />
Nutrition Products<br />
The Tourism Zone:<br />
Sports Tourism<br />
Health Tourism<br />
Agrotourism<br />
Magazines/Publications<br />
Tourism Associations<br />
Chamber of Commerce<br />
in sportswear, and get to know the benefits of<br />
spas, beauty products, diets and new ways to<br />
treat injuries.<br />
According to Waleed Wahba, Project Manager<br />
with <strong>Qatar</strong>Expo, there will be many highlights this<br />
year, but perhaps most important is the increased<br />
presence from sporting organisations. Around 35 per<br />
cent of the exhibition floor space, he says, will be<br />
taken up by <strong>Qatar</strong>’s federations and sports clubs -<br />
with international organisations also likely to<br />
participate. As part of the sports focus, <strong>Qatar</strong>i athletes<br />
who have excelled in different sports over the last<br />
decade will also be honoured for their ‘outstanding’<br />
achievements at the event.<br />
The QOC together with the ASPIRE Academy<br />
will announce the awards during a gala dinner held<br />
on the opening night.<br />
Sport and Fitness, however, is just one of six<br />
exhibitor zones (see box) and the business-to-business<br />
strand of the exhibition is more focused on the<br />
Spa and Wellness zone.<br />
“The exhibitors are targeting both consumers and<br />
traders, but the health, beauty and sports messages<br />
are more targeted at consumers. Then we have the<br />
companies, mostly in the fitness and well-being field,<br />
which are more interested in business-to-business<br />
trading with <strong>Qatar</strong> and the region.”<br />
But whatever the exhibitor’s target market, Mr<br />
Whaba is encouraged by their take-up rate this year.<br />
“Last year, the number of companies was 80; this<br />
event will have at least 120 companies from 18<br />
countries. This year, we have three big companies<br />
from Japan for the first time, as well as a company<br />
from Italy, the UAE, Egypt, China, the Lebanon and<br />
many others. Our plan for 2009 and 2010 is to<br />
convert 60 per cent of exhibitors to those from<br />
international markets.”<br />
But any event sponsored by the QOC, ASPIRE<br />
and the National Health Authority is bound to have<br />
a more wide-ranging agenda than simply business.<br />
‘LIFE - Be Part of it!’, he says, is more concerned with<br />
the promotion of sport, health and well-being. The<br />
success last year not only gave credibility to the event,<br />
but has also allowed <strong>Qatar</strong>Expo to work on this<br />
project with great motivation in order to accomplish<br />
further success.<br />
‘LIFE - Be Part of it!’ is the first exhibition to talk<br />
about health and sport in the region. There’s nothing<br />
quite like it in the Middle East and we are<br />
working closely with the QOC in developing new<br />
ideas and to send the right messages about health,<br />
sports and lifestyle.”<br />
<strong>Qatar</strong>Expo will be promoting the event in the<br />
national media and in Doha’s main shopping malls<br />
over the coming months and will be going further<br />
afield in the future to ensure it becomes a truly<br />
international event. After all, ‘LIFE - Be Part of it!’ is<br />
a motto that everyone can relate to.<br />
Spa & Wellness Zone:<br />
Spa & wellness equipment<br />
and products<br />
Medical supplies<br />
Wellbeing, relaxation &<br />
beauty items<br />
Health retreats, beauty &<br />
wellness centres<br />
Massage products &<br />
equipment<br />
Saunas and Jacuzzis<br />
Education, publications<br />
and the latest<br />
developments<br />
and enhancements in spa<br />
techniques and technology<br />
The Yoga Zone:<br />
Interactive Zone<br />
Yoga sessions<br />
Retreats<br />
Spiritual music and<br />
merchandise<br />
Alternative Medicine Zone:<br />
Aromatherapy products<br />
and treatments<br />
Crystal therapy sessions<br />
Reiki<br />
Bach flower essence<br />
remedies<br />
Q3.08 <strong>Qatar</strong>Sport 13
o o o o o o o o o<br />
beijing<br />
2008<br />
GREATEST<br />
SHOW <strong>ON</strong><br />
EARTH<br />
From Olympia to Beijing, the story of the<br />
<strong>Olympic</strong> Games continues to inspire individuals<br />
and nations to achieve great things<br />
When the curtain goes up on the Opening Ceremony of<br />
the XXIX <strong>Olympic</strong> Games on August 8, the eyes of the<br />
world will turn to Beijing.<br />
The Summer <strong>Olympic</strong>s will be watched by more than<br />
three billion people across the globe - around half the world’s<br />
population - and will involve some 10,000 athletes competing<br />
in 302 events across 28 sports.<br />
Most of the athletes will have trained for many years in<br />
preparation for their big moment on the world’s greatest<br />
sporting stage, living a dream they may well have nurtured<br />
since childhood.<br />
And just as individuals are inspired by the <strong>Olympic</strong>s<br />
Games so are nations. For the hosts, in particular,<br />
Beijing 2008 is an era-defining moment, which should<br />
crystalise China’s growing status in the world within a single<br />
global sports event.<br />
As the International <strong>Olympic</strong> <strong>Committee</strong> President<br />
Jacques Rogge earlier this year. “We gave the Games to a<br />
country that represents one fifth of mankind. We gave the<br />
Games to a country that will change, that is changing.”<br />
The IOC chief hopes that this year’s Games will again<br />
demonstrate the power of sport to bring nations and peoples<br />
together. Indeed, it’s the extraordinary achievement of the<br />
<strong>Olympic</strong> movement that it has come to represent some of<br />
the best aspirations of mankind; to become a unique force<br />
for good - wherever the event is staged.<br />
These positive principles are enshrined in the <strong>Olympic</strong><br />
charter, which says that the goal of the <strong>Olympic</strong> Movement<br />
is to contribute to building a peaceful and better world by<br />
educating youth through sport, practiced without<br />
discrimination of any kind and in the <strong>Olympic</strong> spirit.<br />
This spirit of athletic endeavour will transfix the world<br />
during the 16 days of action from the sporting fields and<br />
arenas of Beijing. But it’s a spirit that has its source in more<br />
ancient arenas than the hi-tech sporting palaces of Beijing.<br />
The multi-media extravaganza on show in Beijing<br />
originated in the athletic spectacles held more than 2,500<br />
years ago in Olympia, Greece, the site of the ancient<br />
<strong>Olympic</strong> Games.<br />
The atmospheric ruins of Olympia remains a symbolic<br />
14 <strong>Qatar</strong>Sport Q3.08
and ceremonial focus of the <strong>Olympic</strong> movement, but at the<br />
height of the ancient <strong>Olympic</strong>s, the stadium in Olympia<br />
could accommodate more than 40,000 spectators, who<br />
gathered to see the exhibitions of strength and speed that<br />
were held every four years for more than 12 centuries.<br />
The ancient <strong>Olympic</strong>s were very different from the<br />
modern Games. Only ‘free men’ who spoke Greek could<br />
compete, instead of athletes from any country. Moreover,<br />
the Games were always held at the same site instead of<br />
moving around to different venues.<br />
There were also fewer events. At first there was only one<br />
competition - a short sprint measuring between 180 and<br />
240 metres or the length of the stadium. Further foot races<br />
were added over the years, as were other events, including<br />
boxing, wrestling, pankration (full-contact fighting), chariot<br />
racing, as well as a pentathlon which consisted of wrestling,<br />
running, long jump, javelin throw and discus throw.<br />
Such was the power of the Games that some archeologists<br />
believe that wars were halted between the city-states of<br />
Greece so that the athletes as well as the spectators of the<br />
<strong>Olympic</strong>s could get there safely. Such a beneficial side-affect<br />
however did not stop the Romans from banning the Games<br />
in the 4th century - closing a chapter in the <strong>Olympic</strong> story<br />
for more than 1,500 years.<br />
How the Games were revived more than one hundred<br />
years ago is far less testing for <strong>Olympic</strong> historians.<br />
International interest in the ancient <strong>Olympic</strong>s had been<br />
growing in the nineteenth century when the French<br />
educationalist Baron de Courbetin called for a<br />
return of Olympism.<br />
The aristocratic founder of the modern <strong>Olympic</strong><br />
movement believed that education was the key to the future<br />
of society, and on June 23, 1894, he organised an<br />
international congress at the Sorbonne in Paris, which led to<br />
the establishing of the International <strong>Olympic</strong><br />
<strong>Committee</strong> (IOC) with De Coubertin becoming the first<br />
General Secretary.<br />
Among the IOC’s early decisions was to stage the fist<br />
IOC organised <strong>Olympic</strong>s in Athens, Greece in 1986, an<br />
event which they decided should be held every four years.<br />
Inset: The <strong>Olympic</strong><br />
Flame is lit in Olympia,<br />
Greece. Main picture:<br />
The <strong>Olympic</strong> Stadium<br />
in Beijing will<br />
showcase the world’s<br />
best athletes.<br />
Q3.08 <strong>Qatar</strong>Sport 15
o o o o o o o o o<br />
beijing<br />
2008<br />
The current <strong>Olympic</strong> Charter too can be traced to the<br />
principles established by De Courbetin. The first two<br />
‘Fundamental Principles’ of Olympism exemplify the<br />
idealism behind the sporting activity.<br />
Olympism, says the first principle, is “a philosophy of<br />
life, exalting and combining in a balanced whole the qualities<br />
of body, will and mind. Blending sport with culture and<br />
education, Olympism seeks to create a way of life<br />
based on the joy of effort, the educational value of<br />
good example and respect for universal fundamental<br />
ethical principles.”<br />
The second principle states that the “goal of<br />
Olympism is to place sport at the service of the<br />
harmonious development of man, with a view to<br />
promoting a peaceful society concerned with the<br />
preservation of human dignity.”<br />
These ideas and others put forward by the<br />
founders of the modern <strong>Olympic</strong> movement have<br />
not only endured, but spread across the globe.<br />
Today, 202 National <strong>Olympic</strong> <strong>Committee</strong>s and 35<br />
International Federations are part of the <strong>Olympic</strong><br />
Movement. This year’s host nation China, for<br />
example, formally entered the <strong>Olympic</strong> stage in<br />
1936 in Berlin, Germany; the Soviet<br />
Union entered the <strong>Olympic</strong>s for the<br />
first time in 1952 in Helsinki, Norway;<br />
and <strong>Qatar</strong> first competed at a Summer<br />
Games in Los Angeles, USA, in 1984.<br />
New to the rigours of top-level<br />
international competition, <strong>Qatar</strong>’s<br />
initial effort was not an immediate<br />
sporting success, but at the Barcelona<br />
<strong>Olympic</strong> Games in 1992, <strong>Qatar</strong> won<br />
its first medal when Mohammed<br />
Suleiman took home the bronze in the<br />
men’s 1500 metres. Eight years later at<br />
Sydney 2000, <strong>Qatar</strong>’s second medal was secured<br />
when Said Saad Asaad won the bronze medal in<br />
the Men’s 105kg weightlifting.<br />
This year, <strong>Qatar</strong> will send its strongest ever<br />
team to compete for medals in Beijing, but for<br />
Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani,<br />
Secretary General of QOC, the Movement is<br />
about far more than the number medals won.<br />
In May, Sheikh Saoud received the 2007<br />
IOC Award for individuals who support the<br />
<strong>Olympic</strong> Movement from Juan Antonio<br />
Samaranch, Honorary President of the IOC in<br />
Lausanne. The award was given to the QOC a<br />
because of its contribution in supporting other<br />
National <strong>Olympic</strong> <strong>Committee</strong>s such as the Yemeni <strong>Olympic</strong><br />
<strong>Committee</strong>.<br />
The honour also reflects the QOC’s committed strategy<br />
for sport in line with the directions of the QOC president,<br />
HH Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani. The QOC’s<br />
mission is “to become a leading nation in bringing the world<br />
together through sport”. It is an ambition that will be reenergised<br />
in the sporting venues of Beijing this August, and<br />
one that will continue to burn brightly long after the Closing<br />
Ceremony as <strong>Qatar</strong> seeks to create its own sporting heroes to<br />
match the legends of past <strong>Olympic</strong> Games.<br />
From the top:<br />
Cathy Freeman<br />
wins 400m gold<br />
for Australia<br />
in Sydney; Liu<br />
Xiang powers to<br />
victory in the<br />
110m hurdles<br />
in Athens; Carl<br />
Lewis wins<br />
another gold<br />
medal in Los<br />
Angeles 1984.<br />
<strong>Qatar</strong> at the <strong>Olympic</strong> Games<br />
1984<br />
The 1984 Summer<br />
<strong>Olympic</strong>s were<br />
celebrated in Los<br />
Angeles, USA. Carl Lewis<br />
made the his first of four<br />
appearances in the<br />
<strong>Olympic</strong>s, and equalled<br />
the performance of<br />
Jesse Owens of 1936 by<br />
winning four gold<br />
medals in the 100m,<br />
200m, 4x100m relay and<br />
the Long Jump. In their<br />
first <strong>Olympic</strong>s, <strong>Qatar</strong><br />
competed in the men’s<br />
football and athletics<br />
events.<br />
1988<br />
The 1988 Summer<br />
<strong>Olympic</strong>s were hosted by<br />
Seoul, South Korea. The<br />
Canadian Ben Johnson<br />
won the 100m in a new<br />
world record, but was<br />
disqualified after testing<br />
positive for steroids.<br />
Tennis returned to the<br />
<strong>Olympic</strong>s after a 64-year<br />
absence and Steffi Graf<br />
added to her four Grand<br />
Slam victories in the<br />
year by also winning the<br />
<strong>Olympic</strong> title. <strong>Qatar</strong><br />
fielded just one<br />
athlete - in the men’s<br />
10,000m.<br />
1992<br />
The 1992 Summer<br />
<strong>Olympic</strong> Games were<br />
held in Barcelona, Spain.<br />
In basketball, the<br />
admittance of pro<br />
players led to the<br />
American Dream Team,<br />
led by Michael Jordan,<br />
which won the gold<br />
medal with ease. <strong>Qatar</strong>’s<br />
football team won the<br />
Gulf Cup that year and<br />
competed in the football<br />
competition, while<br />
Mohammed Suleiman<br />
took the bronze medal<br />
– <strong>Qatar</strong>’s first <strong>Olympic</strong><br />
prize - in the 1500m.<br />
1996<br />
The 1996 Summer<br />
<strong>Olympic</strong>s, known as the<br />
Centennial <strong>Olympic</strong>s,<br />
were celebrated in<br />
Atlanta, United States.<br />
Cycling professionals<br />
were admitted to the<br />
<strong>Olympic</strong>s for the first<br />
time, with five-time Tour<br />
de France winner Miguel<br />
Indurain winning the<br />
inaugural individual time<br />
trial event. <strong>Qatar</strong> sent<br />
competitors in athletics<br />
and for the first time in<br />
shooting.<br />
2000<br />
The 2000 Summer<br />
<strong>Olympic</strong>s were<br />
celebrated in 2000 in<br />
Sydney, Australia . The<br />
local star Cathy Freeman<br />
won the women’s 400m<br />
final in front of a jubilant<br />
Sydney crowd at the<br />
<strong>Olympic</strong> Stadium. <strong>Qatar</strong><br />
sent competitors in<br />
athletics, shooting, table<br />
tennis, and weightlifting<br />
with Said Saad Asaad<br />
winning the bronze<br />
medal in the Men’s<br />
105kg weightlifting. Bilal<br />
Saad finished tenth in<br />
the men’s shot-put.<br />
2004<br />
The 2004 Summer<br />
<strong>Olympic</strong> Games were<br />
staged in Athens,<br />
Greece. Liu Xiang<br />
became the first Chinese<br />
man to win an <strong>Olympic</strong><br />
track and field gold<br />
medal when he won the<br />
110 metres hurdles as<br />
China came within four<br />
gold medals of the USA.<br />
<strong>Qatar</strong> sent participants<br />
in athletics, shooting,<br />
swimming and<br />
weightlifting with Musa<br />
Amer coming closest to<br />
a medal with a fourth in<br />
the final of the men’s<br />
3,000m steeplechase.<br />
16 <strong>Qatar</strong>Sport Q3 .08
THE WORLDWIDE OLYMPIC PARTNERS
o o o o o o o o o<br />
beijing<br />
2008<br />
“As far as I am<br />
concerned, the<br />
athletes are the<br />
VIPs. They deserve<br />
”<br />
their place on the<br />
world stage<br />
Khalil Al Jabber, Director of Sports Affairs at the <strong>Qatar</strong> <strong>Olympic</strong><br />
<strong>Committee</strong>, is also Chef de Mission for the <strong>Qatar</strong> team at the Beijing<br />
<strong>Olympic</strong> Games. He explains his role and ambitions for the olympic<br />
GAMES and hIghlights how the Games fit with <strong>Qatar</strong>’s NATI<strong>ON</strong>AL<br />
‘Sport For Life’ policy<br />
The Opening Ceremony of the Beijing <strong>Olympic</strong> Games<br />
will be an unforgettable day in the lives of all of those<br />
involved - athletes, officials and spectators alike.<br />
There, in Beijing’s innovative Birds Nest Stadium, the<br />
nations of the world will join forces to celebrate sport and<br />
the spirit of Olympism, two of the forces at the very<br />
heart of modern <strong>Qatar</strong>.<br />
The moment when the <strong>Qatar</strong> team’s representatives make<br />
their way into the stadium for the Opening Ceremony will<br />
be a particularly proud moment for Khalil Al Jabber, the<br />
team’s Chef de Mission and Sports Affairs Director of the<br />
<strong>Qatar</strong> <strong>Olympic</strong> <strong>Committee</strong>.<br />
The opening ceremony effectively marks the end of one<br />
phase of the Chef de Mission’s role and the beginning of the<br />
vitally important second. Here months and years of<br />
meticulous planning, training and team selection come to<br />
an end and all attention focuses on the performance of the<br />
team’s athletes under the glare of the world’s attention.<br />
18 <strong>Qatar</strong>Sport Q3.08<br />
“There is tremendous public excitement in <strong>Qatar</strong> and<br />
huge support for our athletes and my job as Chef de<br />
Mission is to ensure that they have the ability to focus solely<br />
on their performance and not worry about any other<br />
details,” Mr Al Jabber said.<br />
“As far as I am concerned, the athletes are the VIPs. Our<br />
role is to serve them and help them produce their best<br />
possible performances in Beijing. They deserve their place<br />
on the world stage and we all know that good performances<br />
can be inspirational for those watching back home in <strong>Qatar</strong><br />
and elsewhere.<br />
“We have to realise that every athlete is different and has<br />
very different requirements. Our job is to understand that<br />
and to make sure they have everything they need to succeed<br />
to the best of their abilities.”<br />
It is that mind-set which has helped ensure that no<br />
previous <strong>Qatar</strong> team has been better prepared for the<br />
<strong>Olympic</strong> Games. Evidence of the detailed planning which
<strong>Qatar</strong>’s Beijing 2008<br />
Chef De Mission,<br />
Khalil Al Jabber,<br />
understands that<br />
<strong>Qatar</strong>’s athletes must<br />
strive to achieve<br />
individual goals at<br />
the <strong>Olympic</strong> Games.<br />
Q3.08 <strong>Qatar</strong>Sport 19
o o o o o o o o o<br />
beijing<br />
2008<br />
“we expect to<br />
have a team of<br />
27 athletes<br />
competing in<br />
six different<br />
sports AT<br />
beijing 2008”<br />
has gone into making the Road to Beijing<br />
as smooth as possible can be found in the<br />
massive free-standing calendar which<br />
stands outside Khalil Al Jabber’s offices on<br />
the 20th floor of the <strong>Olympic</strong> Tower in<br />
Doha. This is the time-line writ large, a<br />
clear indication of the tasks to be completed<br />
each day as the countdown to Beijing<br />
continues. Next to it are diagrams of the<br />
accommodation which will be found in<br />
the <strong>Olympic</strong> Village, introducing the<br />
athletes to the realities of <strong>Olympic</strong><br />
life well before they step onto the<br />
‘plane to China. Khalil Al Jabber<br />
is determined that he and his<br />
delegation will be ready and<br />
absolutely nothing is being left to<br />
chance.<br />
Months before the Games, the<br />
Chef de Mission had accompanied<br />
federation chiefs and other officials<br />
on fact finding visits to Beijing in<br />
order to familiarise themselves<br />
with the facilities and conditions<br />
they will face when the team<br />
arrives from its training camp in Hong Kong a few days<br />
before the official opening of what it still generally agreed<br />
to be The Greatest Show On Earth.<br />
The <strong>Qatar</strong> delegation will consist of competitors,<br />
coaches, medical staff and officials, some of whom will<br />
stay in the <strong>Olympic</strong> Village.<br />
“We are expecting to have a team of 27 athletes in six<br />
different sports in Beijing,” explained Khalil Al Jabber.<br />
“We will be represented in track and field, shooting,<br />
fencing, weightlifting, swimming and taekwondo and<br />
while it is difficult to predict the outcome of events we will<br />
certainly be looking for progress in every area,” he said.<br />
<strong>Qatar</strong>’s strength in shooting disciplines has been well<br />
established over the years and with Nasser Saleh Al-Attiya<br />
taking fifth place in the 2000 Sydney Games and fourth in<br />
Athens four years ago, there are strong hopes that further<br />
improvement will result in a medal for <strong>Qatar</strong>.<br />
Likewise in weightlifting where Jaber Saeed Salem won<br />
the Bronze medal in Athens, there are high hopes, if not<br />
expectations, of an even better placing this time around.<br />
Elsewhere the team will have young competitors taking<br />
place in their very first <strong>Olympic</strong> Games in both the 100m<br />
breast stroke swimming event and in fencing, while in<br />
Taekwando, Abdulqader Hikmat Sarham will be looking<br />
to build on the success enjoyed in wining Gold at the 13th<br />
Asian Games in Doha.<br />
“Every member of the team will give 100 per cent in<br />
their events but we are realistic enough to know that not<br />
all have a realistic medal chance,” Khalil Al Jabber said.<br />
“But in every case we know that each athlete has their<br />
own personal goal. For some it would be a triumph simply<br />
to get into the final of their event.”<br />
“The performance of the team means a lot to <strong>Qatar</strong> and<br />
its people. Over the years we have built a good infrastructure<br />
for sport and made sport and sports participation central<br />
to life in the State. We are now gradually beginning to see<br />
the fruits of the investment that has been made.<br />
“For example, this is the first time we have been<br />
represented in Taekwondo which means that the standard<br />
must be improving thanks to the facilities which are<br />
available. Fencing is another sport which has taken giant<br />
steps as the federation was only established 12 year ago<br />
and now has a representative in the <strong>Olympic</strong> Games.”<br />
Today everybody involved in sport in <strong>Qatar</strong> is focused<br />
on the Games and helping the competitors achieve<br />
maximum performance.<br />
“The Federations and everybody else are being very cooperative.<br />
Everybody shares the same goal,” Khalil Al<br />
Jabber said.<br />
The Beijing <strong>Olympic</strong> Games provide a global showcase<br />
for sport in <strong>Qatar</strong> but the Chef de Mission sees the Games<br />
not as an end in themselves but as a stepping stone on a<br />
longer and ultimately more important journey.<br />
“The <strong>Olympic</strong> Games provide an opportunity to show<br />
<strong>Qatar</strong> and the world what is happening in sport in <strong>Qatar</strong>.<br />
Our ultimate goal though is beyond Beijing. It is about<br />
continually bringing youngsters into sport, identifying<br />
their talents and providing them with the facilities,<br />
resources and support they need to achieve their potential,”<br />
Khalil Al Jabber said.<br />
“We have to think constantly about the future and<br />
while our immediate focus may be Beijing 2008, at the<br />
back of our minds is the task of developing talent for the<br />
2010 Asian Games in Guanzou and, beyond that, the<br />
<strong>Olympic</strong> Games in London in 2012.<br />
“We have created a sports structure in <strong>Qatar</strong> in which<br />
everything comes under the <strong>Olympic</strong> umbrella. This<br />
extends from our highly successful Schools <strong>Olympic</strong> Day<br />
programme to the Games themselves.<br />
“For reasons of enjoyment, social fulfilment and health,<br />
we want to encourage <strong>Qatar</strong>is of all ages to engage in sport<br />
and it is particularly important to do this by working<br />
closely and supporting youngsters.<br />
“Schools <strong>Olympic</strong> Day succeeded in involving hundreds<br />
of thousands of young <strong>Qatar</strong>is in sport, some for the first<br />
time. Many will have enjoyed the experience and been<br />
encouraged to develop their sporting interests and talents<br />
as far as they will take them.<br />
“This, alongside our ongoing talent identification<br />
programmes, will help us to recognise potential among<br />
youngsters and develop them for the future. The Youth<br />
<strong>Olympic</strong> Games in Singapore may provide a platform for<br />
some of them but our focus is longer-term.<br />
“Success in the <strong>Olympic</strong> Games will be celebrated<br />
throughout <strong>Qatar</strong> and provide clear evidence of<br />
what can be achieved on the world stage. I hope and expect<br />
that this will inspire youngsters who will want to<br />
emulate members of the Beijing team at <strong>Olympic</strong> Games<br />
in the future.<br />
Like some members of his team, this will be Khalil Al<br />
Jabber’s first <strong>Olympic</strong> games and he is delighted to be a<br />
part of it.<br />
“Whether I carry the flag or the country’s name, the<br />
Opening Ceremony will be a very proud moment for me<br />
personally and for my country,” he said.<br />
20 <strong>Qatar</strong>Sport Q3.08
o o o o o o o o o<br />
beijing<br />
2008<br />
Samuel Adil Bari Francis<br />
Athletics : 100m<br />
Career Highlights<br />
• Holder of the <strong>Qatar</strong>i, Gulf Arab and Asian<br />
record in the 100m event, with a time of 9.99<br />
seconds. Holder of the international military<br />
100m record.<br />
• Asian Championship, 100m, Gold Medal,<br />
Jordan 2007<br />
• 4th International Military Athletics, 100m, Gold<br />
Medal, India 2007<br />
• 2nd Indoor Asian Athletics, 60m, Gold Medal,<br />
Macao 2007<br />
• Asian Indoor Championship, 60m, Gold Medal,<br />
<strong>Qatar</strong> 2008<br />
Bound<br />
for<br />
beijing<br />
Mohammed Aaisa Adhawadi<br />
Athletics: 110 m hurdles<br />
Career Highlights<br />
• <strong>Qatar</strong> and Gulf record holder<br />
• Arab Championship, Bronze Medal, Syria 2001<br />
• 14th Asian Games, 6th place, Korea 2002<br />
• Arab Championship, Bronze Medal, Jordan<br />
2003 14.11 sec Bronze<br />
• Gulf Military Champs, Gold Medal, U.A.E. 2006<br />
• Gulf Military Champs, Gold Medal, <strong>Qatar</strong> 2007<br />
• Arab Championship, Gold Medal, Jordan 2007<br />
• Asian Champs, Silver Medal, Jordan 2007<br />
• World Military Athletics Championship, Silver<br />
medal, 2007 India<br />
Sultan Khamis Zaman<br />
Athletics: 5,000m/10,000m<br />
Career Highlights<br />
• Gulf Cross-country Championship 12km, Team<br />
Gold, <strong>Qatar</strong> 2005<br />
• World Military Cross-Country championship<br />
5km, Gold Medal, Tunisia 2004<br />
• Arab tournament 10,000m Silver Medal, 2007<br />
• Arab tournament 5,000m, Silver Medal, 2007<br />
• 3rd Asian Indoor Championship 3,000m, Gold<br />
Medal, <strong>Qatar</strong> 2008<br />
• World Cross-Country Championship 12km<br />
Bronze Medal, Scotland 2008<br />
• World Military Cross-Country Championship<br />
12km,Team Gold, Switzerland 2008<br />
• Arab Military Cross-Country Championship<br />
12km, Team Gold, Tunisia 2008 M<br />
Thamer Kamal Ali<br />
Athletics: 3,000m hurdles and 1,500m<br />
Introducing the qatari<br />
athletes who will be<br />
battling for medals at the<br />
olympic games<br />
Career Highlights<br />
• World Military Cross-Country Championship<br />
5km, Team Gold, Tunisia 2004<br />
• Arab Military Cross-Country Championship<br />
5km, Team Gold, Algeria 2008<br />
• World Military Cross-Country Championship<br />
5km, Team Gold, Switzerland 2008.<br />
• Asian Indoor Championship 3,000m, Gold<br />
Medal, <strong>Qatar</strong> 2008<br />
• World Cross-Country Championship 5km, 5th<br />
Place, Kenya 2007<br />
• Arab Athletics Championship, 3,000m, Silver<br />
Medal, Jordan<br />
Q3.08 <strong>Qatar</strong>Sport 21
B<br />
A<br />
C<br />
D<br />
E<br />
Rashid Shafi Bital Adusri<br />
Athletics: Discus<br />
Ahmed Hasan Abdullah<br />
Athletics: Long distance<br />
Zakaria Ali Kamil<br />
Athletics: Long distance<br />
Career Highlights<br />
• <strong>Qatar</strong>i record holder<br />
• 8th Asian Youth Games, Gold Medal, Singapore<br />
1999<br />
• 11th Arab Championship, Gold Medal,<br />
Lebanon 1999<br />
• GCC Championships, Gold Medal, Kuwait 2000<br />
• Arab Military Championships, Gold Medal,<br />
<strong>Qatar</strong> 2001<br />
• Grand Prix, 62.77m <strong>Qatar</strong>i record, <strong>Qatar</strong> 2001<br />
• World Military Championship, Silver Medal<br />
Lebanon 2001<br />
• 1Arab championships, Gold Medal, Syria 2001<br />
• Asian Championships, Gold Medal, Malaysia<br />
2002<br />
• Asian Athletics Championship, 4th place,<br />
Korea 2002<br />
Aaisa Ismail Rashid<br />
Athletics: Long distance<br />
Career Highlights<br />
• World Military Cross-Country Championship<br />
(long distance), Team Gold Tunisia 2004<br />
• World Military Cross-Country Championship<br />
(long distance), Team Gold Tunisia 2008<br />
• World Military Cross-Country Championship<br />
(long distance), Team Gold, Switzerland 2008<br />
Felix Kikway Kipur<br />
Athletics: Long distance<br />
Career Highlights<br />
• Asian Champs, 5,000m, Gold Medal, Jordan 2007<br />
• Arab Military Cross-Country Championship 5km,<br />
Team and Individual Gold Medals, Algeria 2008<br />
• World Military Cross-Country Championship<br />
12km, Team Gold, Switzerland 2008<br />
• World Cross-Country Championship 12km, Team<br />
and Individual Bronze Medals, Scotland, 2008<br />
Career Highlights<br />
• Holder of the <strong>Qatar</strong>i, Gulf and Asian 10,000m<br />
records<br />
• World Cross-Country Championship 4km<br />
Individual Bronze and Team Silver, Belgium<br />
2004<br />
• World Military Cross-Country Championship<br />
12 km, Team Gold, Tunisia 2004<br />
• World Cross-Country Championship 4km<br />
Team Bronze, France 2004<br />
• World Half-Marathon Championship, Bronze<br />
Medal, India 2005<br />
• Asian Championships, 10,000m, Gold Medal,<br />
Jordan 2007<br />
• Asian Championships, 5,000m, Silver Medal,<br />
Jordan 2007<br />
• World Cross-Country Championship, 8th place<br />
for individual and Team Bronze, Scotland 2008<br />
• World Military Cross-Country Championship<br />
12km, Team Gold, Switzerland 2008<br />
Jamal Bilal Salim<br />
Athletics: Long distance<br />
Career Highlights<br />
• World Military Cross-Country Championship<br />
• Long distance Cross-Country, Team Gold 2004<br />
• Asiana athletics tournament 3,000m hurdles,<br />
Bronze Medal, <strong>Qatar</strong> 2006<br />
• Arab Athletics Championship 5,000m, Silver<br />
Medal, Jordan 2007<br />
• World Military Cross-Country Championship<br />
12 km, Team Gold, Switzerland 2008<br />
• Arab Military Cross-Country Championships,<br />
Team Gold, Algeria 2008 Algeria<br />
• World Cross-Country Championship, Team<br />
Bronze, Scotland 2008<br />
Career Highlights<br />
• Asian Athletics Championship, Silver Medal,<br />
Jordan 2007<br />
• IAAF World Championship, Qualifier, Japan,<br />
2007<br />
Mubarak Hasan Shami<br />
Athletics: Marathon<br />
Career Highlights<br />
• Holder of the <strong>Qatar</strong>i Marathon record.<br />
• World Military Cross-Country Championship<br />
12km, Team Gold, Tunisia 2004<br />
• World Half-Marathon Championship, Silver<br />
Medal, Canada 2005<br />
• Gulf Championship Half marathon, Gold Medal,<br />
Bahrian 2005<br />
• World Military Marathon Championship 12km,<br />
Individual and Team Gold, Italy 2005<br />
• World Athletics Championship Marathon, Silver<br />
Medal, Japan 2007<br />
• 15th Asian Games Marathon, Gold Medal, <strong>Qatar</strong><br />
2006<br />
• World Cross-Country Championship, Individual<br />
and Team Bronze, Scotland 2008<br />
• World Military Cross-Country Championship<br />
12km, Team Gold, Switzerland 2008<br />
• Arab Military Cross-Country Championships,<br />
Team Gold, Algeria 2008 Algeria<br />
Yousif Uthman Qadir<br />
Athletics: Marathon<br />
Career Highlights<br />
• Gulf Cross-Country Championship 12km,<br />
Team Gold, <strong>Qatar</strong> 2005<br />
• Gulf Athletics Championship, Half-marathon,<br />
Bronze Medal, U.A.E 2005<br />
• Hamburg International Marathon<br />
Championship Marathon Qualifying record +<br />
personal record, Germany 2007<br />
22 <strong>Qatar</strong>Sport Q3.08
F<br />
I<br />
G<br />
H<br />
J<br />
K<br />
Daham Najim Bashir<br />
Athletics: Middle distance<br />
Khalid Aaisa Alhamadi<br />
Fencing<br />
Usama Mohammed Alaaraj<br />
Swimming: Breaststroke<br />
Career Highlights<br />
• <strong>Qatar</strong> record holder over 1500m and The Mile<br />
• Bislett Games (Mile), Gold Medal, Norway 2005<br />
• Madrid Grand Prix 3000 m, Gold Medal, Spain<br />
2005<br />
• Van Damme Memorial 1500m, 4th Place,<br />
Belgium 2005<br />
• Athens Super Grand Prix, 1500m, Silver Medal,<br />
Greece, 2005<br />
• 15th Asian Games 1,500m, Gold Medal, <strong>Qatar</strong><br />
2006<br />
• Madrid Grand Prix 1,500m, Silver Medal, Spain<br />
2007<br />
Ibrahim Babekr Mahmedin<br />
Athletics: Triple jump<br />
Career Highlights<br />
• <strong>Qatar</strong> and Arab record holder.<br />
• 10th Arab Championship, Bronze Medal, Taif<br />
1997<br />
• Junior World Championship (triple jump), Gold<br />
Medal, Poland 1999<br />
• Asian Youth Games (triple jump, Bronze<br />
Medal, Singapore 1999<br />
• GCC Youth Championships (long jump) Doha<br />
Gold Medal, <strong>Qatar</strong> 1999<br />
• GCC Youth Championships (triple jump) Doha<br />
Silver Medal, <strong>Qatar</strong> 1999<br />
• GCC Youth Championships (triple jump) Doha<br />
Gold Medal, Muscat 2001<br />
• His Highness the Emir’s Championship, Gold<br />
Medal, <strong>Qatar</strong> 2003<br />
• His Highness the Emir’s Cup, 17.15 metres<br />
and new Arab and <strong>Qatar</strong>i record, Gold medal,<br />
<strong>Qatar</strong> 2004<br />
• <strong>Olympic</strong> Games 16.71 metres Heats, Greece<br />
2004<br />
Abdulqader Hikmat Sarhan<br />
Taekwondo under 80kg<br />
Career Highlights<br />
• 15th Asian Games, Gold Medal, <strong>Qatar</strong> 2006<br />
• WTF Asian Taekwondo Qualification<br />
Tournament, Silver Medal, Vietnam 2007<br />
Career Highlights<br />
• Champion of <strong>Qatar</strong> at youth, junior and open<br />
levels<br />
• First place at the youth and junior levels in the<br />
2004 Gulf fencing championship<br />
• Second place at the individual junior level in the<br />
2004 Arab fencing championship<br />
• First place (team) in the 2007 Arab junior fencing<br />
championship<br />
• Third place for the teams at the 2007 Asian<br />
Junior Championship<br />
• He has taken part in a number of international<br />
championships and advanced to the later rounds.<br />
Masoud Saleh Hamad Al-Athba<br />
Shooting:<br />
Career Highlights<br />
• Two Gold Medals (individual and team) from<br />
14th Asian Games 2002 in Busan, Korea<br />
• Silver Medal of Asian Clay Shooting<br />
Championships 2007 (Manila, Philippines);<br />
• Silver Medal in Afro-Asian Games 2003 (Haider<br />
Abad, India)<br />
• He is a repeated winner and medallist of<br />
various GCC and Arab Championships in<br />
individual and team events.<br />
Nasser Saleh Al-Attiya<br />
Shooting: Skeet<br />
Career Highlights<br />
• 4th place : 2004 <strong>Olympic</strong> Games, also participated<br />
in <strong>Olympic</strong> Games in Sydney and Atlanta.<br />
• World Cup, Bronze Medal, Italy 1997<br />
• World Cup, Silver Medal, Italy, 2001<br />
• Asian Championships, Silver Medal, Indonesia<br />
1995.<br />
• Asian Championships, Gold Medal, Thailand 2001.<br />
• Asian Championship. Silver Medal, India 2003<br />
• Asian Championship Gold Medal, Singapore 2006.<br />
• Winner and medalist of various GCC and Arab<br />
Championships in individual and team events.<br />
Career Highlights<br />
• Gold Medal in the 100m and 200m breast<br />
stroke in the 2004 Gulf championship.<br />
• Gold Medal in the open-water team race, and<br />
silver medal in the open-water individual race,<br />
in Doha in 2005.<br />
• Gold Medal in the 100 m and 200m short-lane<br />
breast stroke in Kuwait in 2006.<br />
• Gold Medal in the 100m and 200m short-lane<br />
breaststroke in Kuwait in 2008.<br />
Jabber Saeed Saleh<br />
Weightlifting: 105kg<br />
Career Highlights<br />
• World Weightlifting Championships, Bronze<br />
Medal, Thailand, 2007<br />
• Asian Championships, Gold Medal, China, 2007<br />
• World Championships, Bronze Medal, <strong>Qatar</strong>,<br />
2005<br />
• World Weightlifting Championship Gold Medal,<br />
Canada, 2003<br />
• Asian Games, Gold Medal, Busan, Korea, 2002<br />
• Asian Championships ,Gold Medal, Japan, 2001<br />
• 4th place at the Sydney <strong>Olympic</strong> Games 2000<br />
Nasser Saeed Al Sehouti<br />
Paralympian<br />
Ali Abdulla Mohsen<br />
Paralympian<br />
Picture captions<br />
A - Mubarak Hasan Shami; B -Usama<br />
Mohammed Alaaraj; C - Samuel Adil Bari<br />
Francis; D - Daham Najim Bashir; E - Ibrahim<br />
Babekr Mahmedin; F -Rashid Shafi Bital<br />
Adusri; G -Jabber Saeed Saleh; H -Nasser<br />
Saleh Al-Attiya; I - Zakaria Ali Kamil; J - Ahmed<br />
Hasan Abdullah; K -Abubekr Ali Kamal<br />
Q3.08 <strong>Qatar</strong>Sport 23
o o o o o o o o o<br />
STARS<br />
IN QATAR<br />
WHEN IRISH<br />
<strong>EYES</strong> ARE<br />
SMILING<br />
Denis Lynch took the show<br />
jumping world by storm when he<br />
won he won the Global Champions<br />
Tour Grand Prix in Doha. Now, he<br />
just can’t stop winning<br />
Show Jumper Denis Lynch is riding on the crest of a<br />
wave. In April, the Irishman, then placed 90th in the<br />
International Equestrian Federation rankings, astonished<br />
the equine world when he guided his 10-year-old wonder<br />
horse ‘Lantinus 3’ to victory in the Global Champions<br />
Tour Grand Prix event in Doha.<br />
Lynch and Lantinus have since recorded an impressive<br />
series of wins, taking the Grand Prix at La Baule, France<br />
and the Grand Prix at Rome, where he recorded the only<br />
double clear round of the competition.<br />
But it’s the Doha win in the first leg of the prestigious<br />
Global Champions Tour, which really made his rivals sit<br />
up and take notice.<br />
The unassuming 32-year-old is not one to blow his own<br />
trumpet, but the big prize money win was all the more<br />
remarkable since the horse and rider have only worked<br />
together since October 2007.<br />
Last year, the Swiss industrialist Thomas Straumann<br />
bought the gelding from Jan Tops, the driving force behind<br />
the Global Champions Tour. It was Tops who invited the<br />
Germany-based Lynch to take part in the event.<br />
Lynch responded to the challenge by resting Lantinus<br />
for six weeks ahead of the competition – and the rest is<br />
history. “It’s been a dream come true finding this horse and<br />
having this success has been brilliant,” says Lynch. “ It was<br />
my first time in Doha, but it was a fantastic experience -<br />
there was a great atmosphere and the course and facilities<br />
were first class.”<br />
Arriving in Doha on the Wednesday before the<br />
competition for a day of ‘schooling’ around the unique,<br />
oval <strong>Qatar</strong> Equestrian Federation arena, Lynch and<br />
Lantinus had time to adjust and observe their new<br />
environment. “The stables were air-conditioned and you<br />
couldn’t get any better anywhere in the world,”<br />
says Lynch. “For the grooms that go with<br />
24 <strong>Qatar</strong>Sport Q3.08
the horses, it’s very important that there are permanent<br />
stables and air conditioning, just as there will be in Hong<br />
Kong, China for the <strong>Olympic</strong> Games. On the competition<br />
nights, the air temperature was quite warm, but that was<br />
no problem for Lantinus.”<br />
In fact, nothing appeared to unsettle the horse in Doha<br />
and for those looking for clues to the Grand Prix final on<br />
Saturday, Lynch and Lantinus signaled their potential<br />
when coming second in the 1.50m jump-off class. “On<br />
the Friday, I wasn’t trying to win,” Lynch confides. “I<br />
wanted to keep some speed and power for Saturday.”<br />
On the night of the final - with €100,000 at stake for<br />
the winner - Lynch used this reserve power to stunning<br />
affect. After two clear rounds, Lynch qualified for a third<br />
round jump off against four other riders. Riding second of<br />
the five, he calculated that another clear round would put<br />
him in a medal position.<br />
“If you get a clear round, you’re always in with chance of<br />
getting in the top three. You need to think realistically, so<br />
be quick, but don’t be headstrong. On the last run I was<br />
quick and thought I’d done a good job, but I wasn’t<br />
at all sure I was going to win. I went into the jump-off<br />
with the intention of just leaving all the fences up. But the<br />
horse is naturally quick, and his finishing time put the<br />
rest under pressure. That’s my tactic but I guess everyone<br />
knows it by now!”<br />
Germany’s Alois Pollman-Schweckhorst on Lord Luis<br />
also put in a clear round, but Lynch came home almost<br />
half a second faster to secure his biggest prize to date.<br />
If Doha proved he has the right stuff to succeed under<br />
pressure, Lynch is also quick to give praise to Lantinus.<br />
“This horse is so special,” he says. “He has the scope and<br />
the strength and a brilliant temperament. At first, in a lot<br />
of situations he was ‘overbrave’ and went more quickly<br />
than I wanted, which was a handicap. My job is to keep<br />
him under control and believe in the way he believes in<br />
himself. He’s a big horse – 1.80 metres – and he really<br />
wants to run.”<br />
This positive impression was evidently shared by equine<br />
admirers in <strong>Qatar</strong>. After the race, a tempting offer of over<br />
€5 million was put before the horse’s owner. However,<br />
according to Lynch, Mr Straumann bought Lantinus for<br />
sport, not for profit. “Lantinus was bought to jump and<br />
Thomas loves him,” says Lynch.<br />
Indeed, a real possibility exists that the duo could<br />
represent Ireland at the Beijing <strong>Olympic</strong>s – an act of<br />
generosity from the Swiss owner, which would be wellreceived<br />
in Tipperary, the rural Irish county where Lynch<br />
was brought up.<br />
The same rider and horse combination should also<br />
return to Doha for next year’s final of the Global<br />
Champions Tour when a staggering €2.5 million will be<br />
on offer to the 25 qualifiers. The choice of Doha for the<br />
final, which was announced after the Grand Prix in Doha,<br />
demonstrated just how well the <strong>Qatar</strong> Equestrian<br />
Federation organised the event but also the keen equine<br />
interest of <strong>Qatar</strong>’s ruling family and the <strong>Qatar</strong>i people.<br />
“The development of show<br />
jumping in the Middle east is<br />
fantastic. It’s the way forward...<br />
not just because I won in Doha!”<br />
Left: Irishman Denis Lynch,<br />
riding Lantinus, clears<br />
another hurdle at the Global<br />
Champions Tour Grand<br />
Prix in Doha. Right: Lynch<br />
celebrates victory in the<br />
local style.<br />
Lynch himself is enthusiastic about the sport’s<br />
development in the region and looks forward his return to<br />
Doha next year. “The development of show jumping in the<br />
Middle East is fantastic. It’s the way forward and good for<br />
our sport in general - not just because I won in Doha!<br />
“The Middle East brings purchasing power to the<br />
industry, which keeps the bloodstock prices up, which is<br />
good for the sport.<br />
“But it also brings a great hospitality and positive<br />
mentality to the sport. The racing world has been in the<br />
Middle East for some time and now show jumping has<br />
arrived. I really like it and others riders feel the same.”<br />
As for the skills of the local riders, Lynch is impressed. “I<br />
was quite amazed by the riding standards. In general,<br />
they have the same competitive minds that we do. It<br />
makes no difference what country you’re from – everyone<br />
has an individual style, and the best of them believe<br />
in their style.”<br />
In the light of his Doha performance, Lynch has every<br />
right to be confident about the future with Lantinus.<br />
“There will definitely be more big wins. Since April last<br />
year, he has won more than €500,000. He is one of best<br />
horses in world.”<br />
Q3.08 <strong>Qatar</strong>Sport 25
o o o o o o o o o<br />
PARTNERS<br />
IN SPORT<br />
<strong>Qatar</strong> National Bank has been sponsoring<br />
sports events FOR two decades and is now a<br />
key supporter OF QATAR’S NATI<strong>ON</strong>AL STRATEGY<br />
It’s not unusual for blue-chip brands to support their<br />
local sports industry through sponsorship and official<br />
supplier agreements.<br />
But you definitely get the sense with <strong>Qatar</strong>’s leading<br />
companies that they like to go the extra mile. Over and<br />
above their commercial objectives, there seems to be a<br />
genuine desire to participate in <strong>Qatar</strong>’s great nationbuilding<br />
agenda.<br />
A great case in point is QNB – the <strong>Qatar</strong> National<br />
Bank which has been sponsoring set-piece sports events<br />
for the best part of two decades. Whether it is football,<br />
tennis, motorsports, traditional sports or flagship events<br />
like the 2006 Asian Games in Doha, it’s a given that QNB<br />
will have played a pivotal role.<br />
In recent years, the driving force behind the bank’s<br />
emphasis on sports sponsorship has been QNB chief<br />
executive Ali Shareef Al Emadi. And he has made it clear<br />
on numerous occasions that QNB’s commercial success<br />
goes hand in hand with <strong>Qatar</strong>’s prosperity as a nation. For<br />
Leading from t<br />
him, sports sponsorship is not just about articulating the<br />
bank’s core values, it’s about fulfilling its responsibility to<br />
the wider <strong>Qatar</strong>i community.<br />
Aside from QNB’s commitment to achieving its own<br />
commercial objectives, Mr Al Emadi’s approach to sports<br />
sponsorship consists of three main elements. Firstly, a<br />
desire to put <strong>Qatar</strong> on the international map by sponsoring<br />
iconic events. Secondly, a commitment to developing<br />
young <strong>Qatar</strong>i talent. And thirdly, an attempt to keep the<br />
local population healthy and active by supporting local<br />
community sporting events.<br />
The classic example of how to achieve all three of these<br />
goals at the same time was QNB’s support for the<br />
2006 Asian Games. A brilliantly-executed event, QNB’s<br />
36.5 million Riyal (US $10 million) financial contribution<br />
was undoubtedly a key element of Doha’s success.<br />
But just as important to the smooth running of the overall<br />
planning process were the bank’s logistical expertise and<br />
sponsorship experience.<br />
For QNB, active involvement with the Asian Games<br />
actually began in early 2005 when it signed its deal with<br />
the local organising committee [DAGOC]. Straightaway,<br />
Mr Al Emadi set up a permanent supervising committee<br />
to manage the bank’s preparations for the Games. By<br />
overseeing the committee himself, Mr Al Emadi sent out<br />
two messages. Firstly, that the bank’s sponsorship strategy<br />
would not be executed in a way which would affect its core<br />
banking services. And secondly, that the Games really<br />
Above: QNB was at the<br />
heart of the action during<br />
the 2006 Asian Games.<br />
Below: QNB Chief Executive<br />
Ali Shareef Al Emadi awards<br />
Maria Sharapova with the<br />
<strong>Qatar</strong> Open trophy.<br />
mattered to the bank (something he also demonstrated by<br />
taking part in the Doha torch relay).<br />
Indeed, QNB made sure its involvement with the<br />
Games touched the bank at every level. For example, it<br />
issued a special credit card to commemorate the Asian<br />
Games - donating part of the card’s revenues to the Reach<br />
Out To Asia campaign. It also worked with DAGOC to<br />
create an Information Emergency Centre – equipped with<br />
state-of-the-art technology to help tackle any emergency.<br />
As the Games approached, QNB employees became part<br />
of a vast field force of volunteers which ensured the Games<br />
ran smoothly.<br />
In terms of maximising exposure for both the bank and<br />
the event itself, QNB sponsored the official uniforms of<br />
10,000 volunteers from 93 nations.<br />
The bank’s commitment to the success of the event also<br />
required a lot of activity around arrivals from abroad.<br />
Temporary bank branches within the Athletes’ Village,<br />
the temporary airport and the main media centre were all<br />
built to serve QNB clients and to promote the Bank’s<br />
products and services. QNB also ran a well-organised<br />
corporate hospitality programme. This played a key role in<br />
showcasing the capabilities of both the bank and <strong>Qatar</strong> to<br />
partners.<br />
Of course, it would be wrong to suppose that QNB’s<br />
interest in sport was limited to a few weeks at the end of<br />
2006. Mr. Al Emadi has often stressed that the bank’s role<br />
in supporting the 2006 Doha Asian Games was not an<br />
26 <strong>Qatar</strong>Sport Q3.08
he front<br />
isolated one-off - but an integral part of its wider strategic<br />
efforts to bolster <strong>Qatar</strong>’s sports sector.<br />
For many years, QNB has been a key supporter of the<br />
<strong>Qatar</strong> <strong>Olympic</strong> <strong>Committee</strong> (QOC) – a partnership which<br />
was re-affirmed in 2006 when the bank signed an<br />
agreement to became the exclusive sponsor of <strong>Qatar</strong>’s<br />
major championships in football, basketball, volleyball<br />
and handball (a deal which factors in existing support for<br />
leading <strong>Qatar</strong>i soccer events - the Emir Cup and the Heir<br />
Apparent Cup).<br />
Worth QR 25 million over three years, the deal is the<br />
first time a single <strong>Qatar</strong>i institution has undertaken an<br />
initiative of this magnitude. And it couldn’t have come at<br />
a better time – providing local athletes with the kind of<br />
stable support they need in the run up to Beijing 2008.<br />
Not only that, but QNB’s <strong>Olympic</strong> link has allowed it<br />
to reach out and engage with <strong>Qatar</strong>i consumers once more.<br />
For the first half of the year, it ran a credit card<br />
promotion with Visa (an IOC TOP sponsor), which will<br />
enable six lucky winners to attend the Beijing <strong>Olympic</strong>s.<br />
In doing so, it found a way to keep up the momentum<br />
created by Doha 2006.<br />
Often, investment in a new area of sponsorship leads to<br />
cutbacks in existing commitments. But QNB has been<br />
careful not to turn its back on long-established<br />
arrangements. It continues to sponsor the <strong>Qatar</strong>’s Men<br />
and Women Tennis Championships – ATP and WTAendorsed<br />
events which attract world-class talent.<br />
QNB’s commitment to tennis is part of a long-standing<br />
partnership with the <strong>Qatar</strong> Tennis Federation, which<br />
dates back to the early 1990s. Explaining the rationale for<br />
the sponsorship, Mr Al Emadi said: “Our focus has been<br />
on giving <strong>Qatar</strong> the boost it deserves in order to receive<br />
international recognition, and we truly believe that<br />
supporting Tennis will help achieve this objective.<br />
We have been partners with QTF for 14 years, during<br />
which time this relationship has blossomed to a stage<br />
where <strong>Qatar</strong>’s tennis tournaments are recognised all<br />
over the world.” QNB has also played its part in the<br />
motorsports revolution sweeping across the Middle East.<br />
Through its partnership with the <strong>Qatar</strong> Motor and<br />
Motorcycle Federation (QMMF), it is the sponsor of both<br />
the QNB Losail Motorbike Race and the <strong>Qatar</strong>i Middle<br />
East Rally Champion, Nasser Saleh Al Attiyah.<br />
Once again, Mr Al Emadi is keen for QNB to lead<br />
from the front: “This agreement falls in line with QNB’s<br />
plan to be actively involved in sponsoring and supporting<br />
local sport in <strong>Qatar</strong>. It allows us to strengthen our<br />
involvement in the development of motorsports, which<br />
enjoys widespread popularity in Doha.<br />
“This last comment is a reminder of how important<br />
the local population is to QNB’s strategy. QNB, for<br />
example, has stayed loyal to traditional favourites such as<br />
horse racing and camel racing. As Mr Al Emadi concludes,<br />
“Maintaining a strong link with the past will enable the<br />
country to move forward with confidence.”<br />
Q3.08 <strong>Qatar</strong>Sport 27
o o o o o o o o o<br />
HEALTH<br />
AND SOCIETY<br />
Aspetar delivers best-in-class<br />
ORTHOPAEDIC treatment<br />
Aspetar’s reputation for orthopaedic surgery is growing in the Gulf<br />
as it leads the region in ground-breaking surgical procedures<br />
iStock<br />
Aspetar, <strong>Qatar</strong>’s Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine<br />
Hospital, is to stage a world-class conference on<br />
orthopaedic surgery in the Aspetar Auditorium on<br />
19-20 November 2008.<br />
The 1st Annual Aspetar Arabian Gulf Sports Medicine<br />
Meeting will be organised by Peter Fowler and Craig<br />
Bottoni, Aspetar’s chief medical officer and chief of surgery<br />
respectively, and is supported by ISAKOS – the International<br />
Society of Arthroscopy, Knee Surgery and Orthopaedic<br />
Sports Medicine.<br />
Camera (arthroscope) surgery is a key procedure in the<br />
treatment of sporting injures, in particular those affecting<br />
an athlete’s knee and shoulder, and Aspetar is now a<br />
leading regional centre for this careersaving<br />
surgery.<br />
In April, Aspetar<br />
become the first hospital in <strong>Qatar</strong> to carry out a<br />
‘double bundle arthroscopic posterior cruciate ligament<br />
(PCL)’ reconstruction. PCL injures are less common<br />
than those affecting the anterior cruciate ligament<br />
(ACL), but can be equally destructive.<br />
The operation was led by Dr Bottoni, who developed<br />
this new surgical technique in 2003 and has used it in<br />
over 100 operations before joining Aspetar. “This is a<br />
relatively new technique but we believe it makes a<br />
difficult operation slightly less challenging,” said Dr<br />
Bottoni. “It is our intention at Aspetar to become a<br />
PCL referral centre for the region.”<br />
Dr Bottoni was involved in another landmark<br />
procedure this year, when, with the assistance of Dr<br />
Mohammed Al Ateeq, he performed the ‘first double<br />
row, arthroscopic rotator cuff repair’ at Aspetar.<br />
The arthroscopic technique allows the shoulder injury<br />
to be repaired through very small skin incisions through<br />
which a camera (arthroscope) and surgical instruments<br />
are passed.<br />
Dr Bottoni has received several international awards for<br />
his sports medicine research in knee and shoulder injuries<br />
and their surgical repairs. Among his many accolades, is<br />
the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine<br />
(AOSSM) Excellence in Research Award, which he won in<br />
2005 for research on arthroscopic shoulder surgery.<br />
In 2007, he won AOSSM the O’Donohue Sports<br />
Injury Research Award for research into optimal<br />
timing of ACL surgery.<br />
He is the programme director<br />
for this November’s<br />
conference and<br />
along with Peter Fowler, a world leader in all<br />
areas of orthopaedic sports medicine, patient<br />
care, research and teaching, will host a group of<br />
prominent sports medicine specialists.<br />
These will include Dr Richard Hawkins,<br />
the former team physician for the 1998 and<br />
1999 Super Bowl Champions, the Denver<br />
Broncos, and co-founder of the Steadman<br />
Hawkins Clinic; Dr Charlie Brown, a knee<br />
specialist from the Harvard Combined<br />
Orthopaedic Services and Dr Peter Pascal, a<br />
US-based orthopaedic surgeon and sports<br />
medicine specialist.<br />
The meeting will include expert lectures and<br />
live surgery demonstrations within the brand<br />
new Aspetar facility.<br />
Above: Dr Craig Bottoni<br />
performed the first ‘double<br />
bundle arthroscopic<br />
posterior cruciate ligament<br />
reconstruction’ surgery in a<br />
<strong>Qatar</strong>i Hospital.<br />
Special<br />
achievements<br />
A SPECIAL PAralympic FESTIVAL<br />
iN doha C<strong>ON</strong>FIRMED THE GULF<br />
STATE’S COMMITMENT TO sport<br />
for all its people AHEAD OF<br />
THE 2008 BEIJING GAMEs<br />
The Sport Affairs Department of the <strong>Qatar</strong> <strong>Olympic</strong><br />
<strong>Committee</strong> (QOC), in association with the <strong>Qatar</strong> Sport<br />
Federation (QSF) for Special Needs, has held its first<br />
paralympic sports festival at the <strong>Qatar</strong> Sports Club.<br />
“We want to bring these people closer to the society<br />
and make the society accept them,” said Khalil Al Jaber,<br />
Director of QOC Sport Affairs Department. “There is an<br />
active participation from people in paralympic sport these<br />
days - and two of our athletes will be competing in javelin<br />
and weightlifting at the Beijing Paralympics this year.”<br />
Dr Hassan Mohammed Al Ansari, Secretary General,<br />
QSF for Special Needs stressed that those with special<br />
needs are provided with training by specialist coaches.<br />
Q3.08 <strong>Qatar</strong>Sport 29
o o o o o o o o o<br />
HEALTH<br />
AND SOCIETY<br />
“We have about 300 people with special needs who are<br />
active in sports,” he said. “Our aim is to promote sports<br />
among these people and give them an opportunity to live<br />
a normal life.<br />
“The federation facilitates are not only for the adults:<br />
we have children from the age of 12 years from other<br />
schools who are given training,” he added<br />
The festival featured a number of events and saw wide<br />
participation from both the disabled and others. It began<br />
with a friendly football match between two teams<br />
comprising people with mental disabilities.<br />
Goal ball, a special game for the blind using perforated<br />
balls with a bell inside also attracted much attention. The<br />
players had to prevent goals being scored by tracking the<br />
ball’s movement by sound. Cultural events, and other<br />
games for people with different kinds of disabilities,<br />
besides cultural events, were also held. “<strong>Qatar</strong> gives great<br />
importance to these kinds of activities, ” said Mr Al Jabber.<br />
“We have a number of organisations for people with<br />
special needs which are actively involved with QOC and<br />
are supporting all our activities.”<br />
Paralympic athletes took centre stage at the <strong>Qatar</strong> Sports Club.<br />
GSF WARNS TEENS<br />
AGAINST drug use<br />
THE united natioNS AND <strong>Qatar</strong>’s<br />
olympic authorities are<br />
SHOWING the SPORTING world<br />
NEW WAYS TO RESP<strong>ON</strong>D TO drug<br />
use AM<strong>ON</strong>G YOUNG PEOPLE<br />
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime<br />
(UNODC) and several <strong>Qatar</strong>-based organisations put<br />
together a series of awareness programmes in Doha to<br />
mark the ‘International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit<br />
Trafficking’ on June 26.<br />
The campaign was first launched by the United Nations<br />
General Assembly in 1987 and this year, as in the past, was<br />
targeted towards youth and students, under the theme,<br />
“Do drugs control your life? Your life. Your community.<br />
No place for drugs”.<br />
In response to the global problem, the Global Sport<br />
Fund (GSF), the <strong>Qatar</strong>i fund set up by the QOC<br />
and UNODC to encourage young people to lead a healthy<br />
lifestyle, is also launching a unique attempt at drug<br />
use prevention to support youth-in-sport projects in<br />
several countries.<br />
Young people will be encouraged to take up amateur<br />
sports to promote healthy lifestyles that include being part<br />
of a coaching programme in which they practice fair play<br />
on the field and essential social values and related life skills<br />
off it. For this, a number of camps with participants taking<br />
part from over 30 countries are set to take place in Africa,<br />
Asia and South America by the end of 2008.<br />
QOC became the first sports entity in the world to join<br />
hands with UNODC in establishing the Global Sport<br />
Fund (GSF) in 2005. “QOC is the only national <strong>Olympic</strong><br />
committee in the world to join UNODC for such a<br />
venture,” said Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman Al Thani,<br />
Secretary General of QOC.<br />
“We started the Schools <strong>Olympic</strong> Day, a feat lauded by<br />
the IOC, and we feel equally satisfied by backing a<br />
programme, which is exclusively devised to supporting the<br />
youth of the world.”<br />
Among the events that took place on June 26, the<br />
Permanent <strong>Committee</strong> on Drugs and Alcohol Affairs, on<br />
behalf of the <strong>Qatar</strong> government, conducted exhibitions,<br />
presentations and lectures to raise awareness among the<br />
public on the dangers of using drugs, while a campaign by<br />
the Indian Anti-Smoking Society raised awareness of the<br />
dangers of smoking in their community.<br />
Public lectures on the dangers<br />
of drug-abuse formed part<br />
of the International Day<br />
against Drug Abuse and<br />
Illicit Trafficking on June 26.<br />
30 <strong>Qatar</strong>Sport Q3.08
Asian Optimist Sailing Championship<br />
<strong>Qatar</strong> Squash Classic<br />
Arab Shooting Championship<br />
Sony Ericsson Championships<br />
The <strong>Qatar</strong> Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe France 05/10/08<br />
IAAF World Road Running Championships Brazil 12/10/08<br />
Japanese Grand Prix Japan 12/10/08<br />
Madrid Masters spain 13/10/08<br />
MLB World Series USA 22/10/08<br />
Asian Optimist Sailing Championship doha Sailing Club 24/10/08<br />
Rugby League World Cup australia 26/10/08<br />
MotoGP final race of season spain 26/10/08<br />
World Superbikes final race of season Portugal 26/10/08<br />
<strong>Qatar</strong> Squash Classic Championship Khalifa Tennis Complex 27/10/08<br />
F1 GP final race of season Brazil 02/11/08<br />
U-14 Int. Tennis Championship Khalifa Tennis Complex 03/11/08<br />
Sony Ericsson Tennis Championships Khalifa Tennis Complex 04/11/08<br />
Int. Car Endurance Rally Losail Int. Circuit 06/11/08<br />
The 8th Arab Shooting Championship Lusail Shooting Range 10/11/08<br />
World Touring Car Championship Macau 16/11/08<br />
Davis Cup final tBD 21/11/08<br />
The 4th Asian Technical Gymnastic Championship aspire Zone 23/11/08<br />
Omega Mission Hills World Cup China 7/11/08<br />
European Short Course Swimming Championships Finland 07/12/08<br />
Gulf Sailing Trophy doha Sailing Club 08/12/08<br />
<strong>Qatar</strong> Int. Bowling Open Championship <strong>Qatar</strong> Bowling Center 04/12/08<br />
The 2nd. Cycling Golden Shirt Open Championship around <strong>Qatar</strong> 18/12/08<br />
Doha U-16 Handball Int. Championship al Gharrafa Club 18/12/08<br />
End of NFL regular season USA 28/12/08<br />
Events diary - International and <strong>Qatar</strong><br />
Q3.08 <strong>Qatar</strong>Sport 31
www.globalsportfund.com<br />
Youth in sport—<br />
Create a world<br />
of motion!<br />
Imagine what would happen if the<br />
1.7 billion youth — more than a<br />
quarter of the world’s population<br />
under 25 years of age — took part in<br />
a sport. What a world of motion that<br />
would be. The Global Sport Fund<br />
(GSF) is working to help young people<br />
do just that. It is an initiative of the<br />
United Nations Office on Drugs and<br />
Crime and the <strong>Qatar</strong> <strong>Olympic</strong><br />
<strong>Committee</strong> to aid youth to develop<br />
their potential, live healthy lifestyles,<br />
and stay away from drugs.
World sports<br />
rankings<br />
Clockwise from the top:<br />
Women’s tennis No. 1 Ana<br />
Ivanovic; South African<br />
star Bryan Habana; the<br />
peerless Tiger Woods; and<br />
FIFA’s top 2 soccer nations.<br />
the best of the best in sport… at a glance<br />
FIFA – at 11/06/08<br />
1<br />
2<br />
3<br />
4<br />
5<br />
6<br />
7<br />
8<br />
9<br />
10<br />
11<br />
12<br />
13<br />
14<br />
15<br />
16<br />
17<br />
18<br />
19<br />
20<br />
83<br />
84<br />
85<br />
86<br />
87<br />
Argentina<br />
Brazil<br />
Italy<br />
Spain<br />
Germany<br />
Czech Republic<br />
France<br />
Greece<br />
England<br />
Netherlands<br />
Portugal<br />
Romania<br />
Cameroon<br />
Mexico<br />
Croatia<br />
Ghana<br />
Scotland<br />
Bulgaria<br />
Colombia<br />
Turkey<br />
--<br />
<strong>Qatar</strong><br />
Libya<br />
Iceland<br />
Zimbabwe<br />
Trinidad and Tobago<br />
1559<br />
1513<br />
1424<br />
1303<br />
1274<br />
1246<br />
1143<br />
1133<br />
1123<br />
1111<br />
1094<br />
1069<br />
1041<br />
1020<br />
1017<br />
986<br />
978<br />
949<br />
904<br />
877<br />
--<br />
373<br />
369<br />
367<br />
367<br />
365<br />
IRB - at 11/06/08<br />
1<br />
2<br />
3<br />
4<br />
5<br />
6<br />
7<br />
8<br />
9<br />
10<br />
South Africa<br />
New Zealand<br />
Argentina<br />
Australia<br />
England<br />
Wales<br />
France<br />
Ireland<br />
Fiji<br />
Scotland<br />
90.81<br />
89.59<br />
87.42<br />
84.20<br />
83.36<br />
80.12<br />
79.61<br />
77.18<br />
76.29<br />
74.92<br />
World Golf - at 12/06/08<br />
1<br />
2<br />
3<br />
4<br />
5<br />
6<br />
7<br />
8<br />
9<br />
10<br />
Tiger Woods (USA)<br />
Phil Mickelson (USA)<br />
Adam Scott (Australia)<br />
Ernie Els (South Africa)<br />
Geoff Ogilvy (Australia)<br />
Justin Rose (England)<br />
Sergio Garcia (Spain)<br />
Steve Stricker (USA)<br />
Vijay Singh (Fiji)<br />
Jim Furyk (USA)<br />
19.44<br />
10.21<br />
5.86<br />
5.72<br />
5.62<br />
5.44<br />
5.22<br />
5.21<br />
5.14<br />
5.09<br />
ATP Tour - at 11/06/08<br />
1<br />
2<br />
3<br />
4<br />
5<br />
6<br />
7<br />
8<br />
9<br />
10<br />
Roger Federer (Switzerland)<br />
Rafael Nadal (Spain)<br />
Novak Djokovic (Serbia)<br />
Nikolay Davydenko (Russia)<br />
David Ferrer (Spain)<br />
Andy Roddick (USA)<br />
James Blake (USA)<br />
David Nalbandian (Argentina)<br />
Stanislas Wawrinka (Switzerland)<br />
Richard Gasquet (France)<br />
6675<br />
5585<br />
5225<br />
3050<br />
2905<br />
2405<br />
2015<br />
2000<br />
1615<br />
1595<br />
FIH ABN-AMRO - at 12/06/08<br />
Sony Ericsson WTA Tour - at 11/06/08<br />
1<br />
2<br />
3<br />
4<br />
5<br />
6<br />
7<br />
8<br />
9<br />
10<br />
Germany<br />
Australia<br />
Netherlands<br />
Spain<br />
Korea<br />
Pakistan<br />
Argentina<br />
England<br />
India<br />
New Zealand<br />
1921<br />
1898<br />
1743<br />
1689<br />
1435<br />
1353<br />
1115<br />
1092<br />
1078<br />
1020<br />
1<br />
2<br />
3<br />
4<br />
5<br />
6<br />
7<br />
8<br />
9<br />
10<br />
Ana Ivanovic (Serbia)<br />
Maria Sharapova (Russia)<br />
Jelena Jankovic (Serbia)<br />
Svetlana Kuznetsova (Russia)<br />
Elena Dementieva (Russia)<br />
Serena Williams (USA)<br />
Venus Williams (USA)<br />
Anna Chakvetadze (Russia)<br />
Dinara Safina (Russia)<br />
Marion Bartoli (France)<br />
4222<br />
3806<br />
3755<br />
3565<br />
2750<br />
2676<br />
2606<br />
2541<br />
2222<br />
2035<br />
Q3.08 <strong>Qatar</strong>Sport 33
O’Grady<br />
looks<br />
east<br />
for<br />
growth<br />
34 <strong>Qatar</strong>Sport Q3.08
The PGA European Tour Chief<br />
Executive George O’Grady sees<br />
the future in the new golfing<br />
destinations of the Middle<br />
East and Asia<br />
George O’Grady’s office is tucked away behind the first<br />
tee of Wentworth’s famous west course, which for the<br />
last 25 years or so has been the centre of the PGA<br />
European Tour’s world. How long this remains the case is<br />
open to question.<br />
For now, this is European golf’s headquarters, situated<br />
deep in the London stockbroker belt, surrounded by some<br />
of the most expensive real estate in Europe. Every May,<br />
golf fans come in their thousands to watch the BMW<br />
PGA Championship, and to peek through the hedgerows<br />
of the estate’s famous residents.<br />
Where once the stucco-fronted mansions were occupied<br />
by old school bankers from the City of London and stars of<br />
the British entertainment industry, they have been largely<br />
replaced by an international elite: the stars of private<br />
equity and the Premier League, Andriy Shevchenko has<br />
spent his Chelsea sojourn here and Boris Berekovsky, the<br />
secretive exiled Russian oligarch, lives in one of the estate’s<br />
many tree line roads.<br />
In many ways the PGA at Wentworth is a throwback,<br />
to the days when the Tour’s big dates were the national<br />
open championships of Europe, held in Ireland, France,<br />
Italy, Spain and Portugal. But those days are gone and<br />
they’re not coming back.<br />
George O’Grady has overseen a revolution, one that<br />
started more than 25 years ago, when the European Tour<br />
broke out of Europe. Along with former Tour Chief<br />
Executive Ken Schofield from whom he took over in 2004,<br />
O’Grady has steered a new course, one that has led to a<br />
power and influence shift from Wentworth to golf’s new<br />
playground in the Gulf.<br />
The Dubai Desert Classic led the way, followed in 1998,<br />
by the Commercialbank <strong>Qatar</strong> Masters, which has grown<br />
into one of the key events of the early season schedule.<br />
With a $2.5million purse on offer, the <strong>Qatar</strong> event has<br />
been won by some of the game’s most illustrious players.<br />
Australian Adam Scott negotiated the 7,355 yard Doha<br />
Golf Club course to win the 2008 tournament, thereby<br />
adding his name to those of Retief Goosen, Henrik<br />
Stenson and Ernie Els among others on the trophy.<br />
From his perspective as Chief Executive of the European<br />
Tour, George O’Grady draws parallels between the Dubai’s<br />
explosive golfing growth and the potential of <strong>Qatar</strong>.<br />
“The big move will happen when they build the second<br />
golf course,” he says, noting how quickly the Doha<br />
coastline has developed since his first visit. “They have<br />
many hotels now. But at first they only had one, which<br />
is now the Doha Sheridan. As they develop the coastline,<br />
the same growth of the game in <strong>Qatar</strong> will occur as it<br />
has in Dubai.”<br />
The importance of the relationships between the Tour<br />
and countries in the region are obvious. Golf’s traditional<br />
sponsorship model is coming under pressure. The banks<br />
and car-makers, who have long supported the sport<br />
are facing uncertain economic times. The oil wealth of<br />
<strong>Qatar</strong>, Abu Dhabi and Dubai, along with the respective<br />
governments’ tourism agenda, provides a welcome source<br />
of income.<br />
For <strong>Qatar</strong> in particular, O’Grady says golf, along with<br />
other sporting events, has helped establish the country on<br />
the world map. “A camera at a tennis event just shows<br />
a tennis court. The camera at a golf tournament shows<br />
the whole area, they are feature golf courses, which are<br />
then discussed by the commentary teams. In <strong>Qatar</strong> golf<br />
has helped attract investment into the region, and people<br />
certainly know where it is.”<br />
This year saw the second Abu Dhabi Championship<br />
and further events in the region are sure to follow. The<br />
Tour has recently gone into partnership with Axem Sports,<br />
a company operating out of Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. It<br />
seems likely then that Saudi Arabia will soon be added to<br />
the Gulf Swing.<br />
O’Grady’s view of sports marketing was handed down<br />
to him by John Jacobs, a former chief of the tour. Jacobs<br />
was asked in the early 1970s what he was going to do to<br />
attract the interest of sponsors. He replied: “I won’t, I’ll be<br />
trying to create an image so sponsors will come looking<br />
for me.” This approach reached a zenith late last year with<br />
an announcement that stunned seasoned observers of the<br />
game. From 2009 the Tour’s money list will be renamed the<br />
Race to Dubai and the season will culminate in The Dubai<br />
World Championship held at the Jumeirah Golf Estates,<br />
the richest event ever staged anywhere in the world.<br />
the big interview<br />
Above: Last year’s <strong>Qatar</strong><br />
Open Masters winner,<br />
Adam Scott. Following<br />
page: O’Grady relaxes<br />
with golf star Padraig<br />
Harrington as the<br />
European Tour visits the<br />
Middle East.<br />
“The big move will happen when<br />
they build the second golf<br />
course [in Doha]. In <strong>Qatar</strong>, golf<br />
has helped attract investment<br />
into the region”<br />
Q3.08 <strong>Qatar</strong>Sport 35
the big interview<br />
GEORGe O’Grady – continued from previous page<br />
“In China, there are masses<br />
of people being groomed and<br />
coached in golf because... it is the<br />
done thing in business”<br />
Players will be ranked according to their earnings from<br />
all events on The European Tour international schedule,<br />
including all European Tour tournaments, the Major<br />
Championships and the World Golf Championships.<br />
Players ranked from 1 to 60 in The Race to Dubai then<br />
compete in the season’s climax, the $10 million Dubai<br />
World Championship. Following this tournament, the<br />
season’s 15 top-ranked players by earnings share a Bonus<br />
Pool of $10 million. The Number One player will receive<br />
$2 million, the runner-up $1.5 million and the thirdplaced<br />
player $1 million, with prizes down to the 15th<br />
player, who will earn $250,000.<br />
“With the combined prize funds of The Dubai World<br />
Championship and The Race to Dubai, we have the<br />
prospect of a player standing over a putt for $3,666,660,”<br />
said O’Grady, when the announcement was made.<br />
The scale and ambition of the event is a direct assault<br />
on the PGA Tour, which for the first time is showing signs<br />
of status anxiety. American golf’s hierarchy has watched<br />
on as O’Grady has spread in to the Middle East and Asia,<br />
adding lucrative new commercial partners and opening up<br />
new markets, most notably in China and India. All four<br />
World Golf Championship events, controlled by the PGA<br />
Tour are this year held in America. The Road to Dubai<br />
comes a year after Tim Finchem, O’Grady’s American<br />
counterpart, launched the FedEx series, itself a response<br />
to falling TV ratings and concerns that the game stateside<br />
is over dependent on Tiger Woods.<br />
Underpinning this anxiety is the thought of losing their<br />
trump card to an international tour, a seemingly distant<br />
prospect despite the riches on offer. Woods has said he<br />
doubts he will be in Dubai next November, saying the<br />
rigours of maintaining his European Tour card, a prerequisite<br />
of entry, will be too much.<br />
Woods’ absence would undermine the Dubai event’s<br />
World Championship claims, and it remains to be seen<br />
if the Tour will accommodate his schedule to get him in.<br />
Such is his pulling power that even mega-rich events can<br />
look pedestrian without him. For example, HSBC pulled<br />
out of its sponsorship of the World Matchplay, also at<br />
Wentworth, after five years of a ten-year deal, originally<br />
set to run to 2012. Woods played just once during the<br />
bank’s sponsorship of the event, losing in the first round<br />
to Shaun Micheel in 2006.<br />
“We are unashamedly about business,” says O’Grady,<br />
who was a former executive with oil company Esso. “We<br />
follow the money.” He has noted a significant change in<br />
the objectives of the Tour’s international partners. “In the<br />
early days it was about big global companies trying to<br />
break in to the China market. Now it is as much about<br />
Chinese course developments and companies promoting<br />
themselves to the world. Governments around the world<br />
have decided that golf is a good role model for its citizens,<br />
because of all the accompanying virtues of character<br />
building, leadership and etiquette that go with it”.<br />
The next step for <strong>Qatar</strong>, China and the other golf<br />
destinations is to increase participation among their own<br />
people, allowing the sport to move from something they<br />
watch to something they do.<br />
“In China, there are masses of people being coached<br />
and groomed in golf because they deem it to be<br />
acceptable and it is the done thing in business. You have<br />
to be careful who you invite to play in a Pro-Am because<br />
they always say yes”.<br />
Viewing figures play a major part in the decision making<br />
process of the new generation of tour sponsors says O’Grady.<br />
“They are very much more research driven. Whatever the<br />
euphoria they feel on the Sunday of a tournament, the<br />
chairman’s whim is no longer as important. But it is worth<br />
noting that it is still important, he or she signs it off, but<br />
now it has to be backed up with pages of figures”.<br />
The key to providing sponsors with this evidence<br />
lies in the television contracts negotiated centrally by<br />
O’Grady and his team. The European Tour is available<br />
in 80 million homes via a deal with The Golf Channel in<br />
the US, ensuring events such as the <strong>Qatar</strong> Masters is seen<br />
around the world.<br />
“It starts with having quality pictures,” says O’Grady,<br />
referring to the broadcast service provided by European<br />
Tour Productions, a joint venture between the tour and<br />
IMG Media. “We are able to guarantee high class pictures<br />
anywhere in the world. It means we are selling quality and<br />
certainty rather than hope”.<br />
As the golfing economy of <strong>Qatar</strong> grows, this sounds<br />
like good news.<br />
36 <strong>Qatar</strong>Sport Q3.08