the official magazine of the qatar olympic committee QatarSport

QatarSport
Q4.2008
the official magazine of the qatar olympic committee
STAR ATTRACTIONS
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BEIJING 2008
A STEPPING STONE
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THE BIG INTERVIEW
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qatarsport.Q4.08.contents
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Silver Metalic
04 QOC comment Message from the Secretary General
05 News Qatar renews hosting ambitions
10 Flying the Flag The French connection
12 Olympic review Lessons from Beijing 2008
18 Asian Beach Games Looking forward to Bali 2008
21 Schools Olympic Day Bigger and better than before
22 Event Focus the Sony Ericsson Championships
24 Star in Qatar Head over heels with LuaLua
26 Partners in Sport Commercialbank raises its game
30 Sports Diary Highlights of the sporting season
34 The Big Interview Squash legend Jahangir Khan
No article in this publication or part thereof may be reproduced without proper permission and full acknowledgement of the source:
Qatar Sport, a publication of the Qatar Olympic Committee.
© Qatar Olympic Committee, 2008.
www.olympic.qa
qoc@olympic.qa
Designed and produced for the Qatar Olympic Committee by SportBusiness Group, London.
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Cover photo: supplied by the QOC
Q4.08 QatarSport 3

Sheikh Saoud Bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, Secretary General, Qatar Olympic Committee
Welcome...
While billions of people around the world shared
the excitement of the Olympic Games on television,
we were privileged to be in Beijing with the Qatar
delegation. In welcoming you to this issue of Qatar
Sport we would like to reflect on the Olympic Games,
staged magnificently by the city of Beijing and its
Local Organising Committee to whom we offer our
congratulations.
Once again the Games demonstrated exactly why
sport is central to the lives of people in every part of
“Sport is an ideal way of engaging young
people and encouraging them to explore
a wide range of important issues”
the world. Not only did competitors push human
performance to the limit in setting 28 new world
records in a variety of sports, but we also saw many
examples of the true spirit of Olympism.
The image of competitors from two combatant
nations embracing on the medal podium underlined
the power of sport to rise above day-to-day conflict and
create an atmosphere of hope based on a passion shared
by the world.
The Beijing Games set the highest standards in almost
every respect. From the spectacular Opening and
Closing ceremonies to the sports venues, athletes village
and media centre, the quality was uniformly excellent.
Every Games creates new learnings for the hosts
which follow and you can be assured that the delegation
from the Qatar Olympic Committee were eager
students of what was achieved in Beijing.
Now our attention turns to London 2012 where we
are sure Lord Coe and his team will leave their imprint
by delivering an innovative, new and fresh Games. We
wish them every success.
For Qatar the Beijing Games were, in some respects a
landmark. We were proud to have sent our biggest ever
team with athletes contesting seven different sports.
In September, we launched the second Schools
Olympic Day programme, designed to give youngsters
in Qatar the opportunity and encouragement to
become involved in a range of different sporting
activities and to understand and adopt the principles of
a healthy lifestyle.
The programme, which was inspired by H.H. Sheikh
Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani, The Heir Apparent of
the state of Qatar & President of the Qatar Olympic
Committee, was a huge success in its first year and we
are looking forward to building on that in the years
to come. For 2008-09 the theme of Schools Olympic
Day will be The Environment. Sports and supporting
activities are themed to ensure that youngsters have
an opportunity to discuss environmental issues, the
importance of looking after the world around us and
the role of sport in this process.
Sport is an ideal way of engaging young people and
encouraging them to explore a wide range of important
issues and values while thoroughly enjoying themselves.
Schools Olympic Day is a perfect example of this
principle at work.
Youngsters in Qatar, like others around the world,
watched the Olympic Games intently. They will have
been inspired by the heroics of Michael Phelps, Usain
Bolt and by the spirit of camaraderie and friendship
which surrounded the Games.
Schools Olympic Day will provide them with a
channel to build on this excitement in a very tangible
way and will help instil the values of Olympism and
empathy towards environmental concerns that will
serve them well as adults.
This month another team of Qatari competitors will
be in action, this time in Bali, Indonesia where the
inaugural Asian Beach Games is being held. We extend
to athletes from all of the competing nations and the
Organising Committee our best wishes in this exciting
project which we are sure will become a regular feature
of the Olympic Council of Asia’s cycle of events.
4 QatarSport Q4.08

Q4.08.news
doha’s 2020 vision
Qatar is to bid to host the 2020 Summer Olympic Games and is
determined to build on the lessons learned during its
campaign for the 2016 Games
The Heir Apparent Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-
Thani, President of the Qatar Olympic Committee
(QOC), revealed Qatar’s renewed ambition to host the
Olympic Games to reporters at the Beijing Olympics in
August this year.
His Highness said that Qatar is determined to host
the Games and will open dialogue with the IOC about
why Doha’s bid for the 2016 Games was unsuccessful.
Qatar will then bid for the 2020 Olympics Games
according to the criteria laid out by the IOC.
Many media observers and members of the Olympic
family were astonished when Qatar’s 2016 bid failed to
reach the final round of Candidate Cities, despite being
judged superior to Rio de Janeiro and level with Chicago
in the overall technical assessment.
Having established a global reputation with the
uniformly well-received 15th Asian Games Doha 2006,
the move to host the Olympic Games was seen as a
natural transition for Qatar, which has invested heavily
in its sporting infrastructure to become a major event
hosting hub.
With the Olympic Games back on the agenda, Qatar
has signaled its intent to move forward on all sporting
fronts. As Qatar Olympic Committee Secretary General,
Sheikh Saoud explains, Qatar aims to become the
sporting capital of the Middle East and is committed to
the promotion of sports.
“Qatar has focused on three main pillars in developing
and diversifying its economy: education, health and
sports - and within the scope of sports, the biggest areas
of focus are football, golf, tennis, cycling, fencing and
table tennis,” he said. “We feel it is essential to go for the
major events related with these sports in order to attract
people from all around the globe and we hope to do so
in the next few years.”
Qatar is also examining its capabilities in terms of the
accommodation, facilities and services it needs to handle
the really big sporting events.
With Doha International Airport’s expansion
continuing apace and plans in place for rail connections
to the city, Doha is quickly developing a transport
infrastructure to match its ambitions as a host of major
sports events. “Qatar is close to many large population
centres, so ensuring that further capacity is available at
the airports is vitally important in order to handle the
influx of passengers,” explains Sheikh Saoud.
Sheikh Saoud says the QOC is currently working on
two new football stadiums and a velodrome for cycling
and has set aside land for the construction of sports
complexes on a build-operate-transfer basis at low rents.
In short, Qatar remains committed to its sporting
dreams - and if Qatar wins the right to host the 2020
Olympic Games, it will be seen as a victory not just for
the small Gulf state, but for the entire region.
The spectacular Opening
Ceremony for the 15th
Asian Games Doha
2006 could be a taste of
things to come if Qatar
realises its ambition to
host the Olympic Games.
Q4.08 QatarSport 5

News
in Brief
The Qatar Basketball
Federation (QBF) organised
a three–day training course
for coaches of local basketball clubs
scheduled to compete in the upcoming
Qatar Basketball League. Thirty five
coaches participated in the study,
which included lectures from Qatar’s
national basketball team coach, the
American Kent Davison.
Al Arabi lifted the Qatar
football season’s curtainraising
Sheikh Jassim Cup
with a comprehensive 3-0 defeat of Al
Rayyan. The goals for the seven-time
league champions were scored by
Congolese striker Lomana LuaLua,
Mousa Haroun and Waleed Hamza.
Swimmers from Qatar took
home five medals in the
juniors competition at the
19th GCC Swimming Championship
held by the UAE Swimming Federation
in Abu Dhabi in August. Abdulrahman
Essa Al Eshaq put in the best
performance by winning silver in
the 200m backstroke in the 15 to 17
years category.
Qatar bagged eight medals,
including one silver and
seven bronze in the Arab
Schools Games at the Sport City
in Amman, Jordan. The Games
featured 11 Arab countries. The
closing ceremony of the Games saw
the Games’ flag handed over to Kuwait,
which will host the next edition of the
schools event in 2010.
The World Pool-Billiard
Association (WBA) has
awarded Qatar the rights
to host the International Open 9-Ball
Championship every year after the
success of the inaugural championship
held in July 2008, which attracted a
world-class field and was broadcast
by Al Jazeera. According to Ibrahim Al
Sehlawi, president of the Qatar Billiard
and Snooker Federation, the award
represents a ‘great achievement’
for the sport in Qatar. “I thank WPA
President Ian Anderson for giving us
this opportunity to host the event every
year,” he said.
David to defend
doha title
When world number one Nicol Ann David
(right) blasted her way to victory in the Qatar
Classic last November it heralded a remarkable
winning streak.
Following her win in Doha she embarked
on a run of seven straight championship titles,
with an unbeaten record extending to more
than 30 matches.
All of which is building up the anticipation
for her return to defend her title at this year’s
event to be staged at the state-of-the-art Khalifa
Tennis and Squash Complex in Doha, starting
on October 25.
And away from the women’s game, top
men’s player Amr Shabana - who in August sat
comfortably on top of the Professional Squash
Association’s world rankings - will also be
looking to defend a title which has already seen
him snare four major titles in 2008, among
them the crown at the Kuwait Open.
While the entries for this year’s tournament
have yet to be confirmed, it is once again
expected that the world’s top stars will be lining
up to do battle – with the prize money on offer
among the biggest on the tour.
In the women’s competition there will be
$74,000 while in the men’s competition the 32
players will be battling it out for a major payout
of $145,000.
And with the best players in the world
assured of making it a date in their packed
QOC managEment: Investing in people
The Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) has
passed the half-way mark in the roll-out of its
Advanced Sport Management Course, designed
to raise the skill sets of its managers and senior
staff and share the QOC’s vision ‘to bring the
world together through sport’.
The fourth of the seven-chapter series
focused on ‘Managing Finance’ and dealt with
the fundamentals of spending, budgeting and
reporting to reflect the strategic mission of
Qatar’s Olympic governing body.
“Our key objective is to connect all the
NOCs with Olympic Solidarity by sharing
ideas and utilising tools to grow Olympism and
Sport For Life,” explained the invited course
leader, US-based Ghassan Haddad, an educator
of sport management and Olympism.
calendars, the setting will once again showcase
all Doha has to offer, with the revamped and
hugely improved Khalifa complex once again
staging the event.
Having seen a ‘huge sum’ invested in the
complex to bring it up to standard for the
2006 Asian Games – which cost it the chance
to host the Qatar Classic in 2006 - the venue
now boasts eight side courts, providing seating
for 200 spectators each, and one all-glass court
accommodating 1,200 squash fans.
He added: “The facilities in Qatar are
amazing. We just need to employ the right
strategies to utilise these sporting facilities for
the long run.”
By the end of the three-day course, the
attendees had been briefed on the best mix
of financial solutions needed to accelerate the
growth of the QOC, and how to take control
of, and successfully manage, the funds available
to them.
The QOC’s Technical Affairs Committee
launched the Advanced Sport Management
Course earlier this year under the aegis of the
International Olympic Committee.
Chapters five and six will be taken by Alain
Ferrand, an expert on strategic and operational
sports sponsorship.
6 QatarSport Q4.08

Q4.08.news
Qatar’s new look football league
will be better than ever.
Qatar stars league takes off
The Qatar League is back with a new
name and development plan - and is set to
be bigger and better than ever before.
It was delayed for a week to give the
Qatar national team a chance of getting
their bid to reach the 2010 FIFA World
Cup off to the best possible start, but from
September 13, the ‘Qatar Stars League’
kicked off a shining new era for the
professional game on the peninsula.
A number of major innovations were
unveiled for the season designed to
strengthen both the league’s status and the
competitiveness of the teams taking part.
Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa bin Ahmad
Al-Thani, President of the Qatar Football
Association and Chairman of the Qatar
Stars League, said he was convinced the
moves would bring “immediate credibility
and success” to the league.
Core innovations include developing and
leveraging sponsorship deals, bonus and
incentive payment schemes for home grown
talent, and the introduction of a proper
home and away system. There will also be
an enhanced media operation to ensure
games get good press coverage.
The new name and strategy is
accompanied by a new-look logo, all of
which, says the league’s Commissioner, Uli
Linke, are “very positive changes”.
Linke explained: “The plan is to improve
football in Qatar for all its component
parts. That includes players, managers, the
media, spectators and sponsors.
“We are especially excited to be
working together with the Qatar Football
Association (QFA) and the clubs in order to
achieve this and thank them in advance for
their cooperation”.
Crucially, there have also been some
major commercial deals taking place in
support of the Qatar Stars League. The
most significant was a deal signed by
the QFA with Masraf Al Rayan Bank to
become the league’s presenting partner.
Dr Hussain al-Abdulla, the bank’s
Chairman and Managing Director said:
“We conceive our sponsorship of the
Qatar Stars League as an investment in
supporting the sport sector and enhancing
opportunities for the young in Qatar - the
people we depend on to achieve so much
locally, regionally and globally.”
Excitingly for fans, the Al Kass Satellite
Sports Channel has clinched a deal to be
the official TV broadcaster for the new-look
league, covering all matches this season.
These moves will dovetail with the
recently announced plans to turn each
club into legally-structured businesses
and enhance the professionalism and
commercial appeal of the league.
Q4.08 QatarSport 7

News
in Brief
Preparations for Qatar’s
basketball team’s
participation in the
second Asian Cup championship in
Kuwait from October 9 to 15, took in
victorious friendly matches against
Jordan and the Philippines in Doha.
Qatar also took part in a friendly
tournament held from September 18
to 20, involving Lebanon, Egypt and
Tunisia.
Former Brazil national
team coach Sebastiao
Lazaroni, who led Brazil
in the 1989 Copa America and the
World Cup in 1990, has signed a oneyear
contract with Qatar Sports Club.
He replaces Bosnian Dzemaludin
Musovic who left the post at the end
of the season in which Qatar Sports
Club finished fourth.
Qatar’s ace rally driver and
shooter Nasser al-Attiyah
has launched his official
website www.nasser-al-attiyah.com ,
which gives in-depth and up–to-date
information on his career in rallying.
The English language website was
launched before the Olympic Games.
An Arabic version will follow soon.
Qatar’s rowing team won
a bronze in the Asian
Rowing Championship,
which took place in Singapore
with the participation of 13 Asian
countries. The achievement was
secured by the Qatari duo, Saoud Al
Emmadi and Abdullah Al Khan, who
were competing in their first ever
international championship.
Javelin thrower, Nasser
Al Sahouti, who finished
fifth in the 2004 Athens
Paralympic Games, was placed
tenth against a strong international
field at the 2008 Games in Beijing.
Weightlifter Ali Abdullah Muhsen,
Qatar’s other competitor at the
Paralympic Games in Beijing
was forced to withdraw from the
competition due to injury after
his first attempt in the 180kg
weightlifting category.
qatar chases world cup dream
November 12, 1997 is a
date, which continues to have
considerable influence on the
fortunes of the Qatar national
soccer side.
Because it was on that date
the nation came within a whisker
of booking its place in the FIFA
World Cup finals of France 1998.
Needing a win in their final
home match against Saudi Arabia,
the visitors emerged 1-0 winners
in front of a packed Doha crowd
and booked a place in the finals
instead of their hosts.
However, eleven years on,
and inspired not to repeat that
evening’s disappointments, Qatar is edging
closer to securing a berth at the FIFA World
Cup 2010 in South Africa after ensuring they
will go into battle in the final rounds of the
qualifying process.
Qatar has risen up the FIFA rankings at an
impressive pace, overtaking event 2010 hosts
South Africa in the process to find themselves
on the edge of the top 70 teams.
Now they face their toughest task -
navigating a path through the final qualifying
matches in Group A which includes Australia,
Japan, Bahrain and Uzbekistan. Already four
points have been accumulated with a 3-0
victory at home over Uzbekistan followed by
Aspire searches
for stars of
tomorrow
The search for the next generation of
soccer stars is set to get underway - with the
Aspire Academy for Sports Excellence hoping
to build on last year’s success.
More than 400,000 youngsters took part
in 2007 as the Academy cast its net across
Africa. And now it is hoped even more will
take part, with scouts also travelling to Latin
America in the annual talent search.
‘Aspire Africa. Football Dreams’ gives
youngsters the chance to train at Qatar’s stateof-the-art,
world-renowned facility and has
become the biggest talent search in the world.
This year scouts will visit Cameroon,
Ghana, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Mali, Nigeria,
Qatar was held to a draw against Bahrain in its second World Cup qualifying match.
a frustrating 1-1 draw in Doha against Gulf
neighbours Bahrain.
There has been drama behind the scenes
too. In September, the Uruguayan coach,
Jorge Fossati, stood down because of ill-health
to be replaced by the Frenchman Bruno
Metsu, who famously led Senegal to the
quarter-finals in the 2002 World Cup.
The remaining Group A qualifying games:
Oct 15 Australia v Qatar (Brisbane)
Nov 11 Qatar v Japan (tbc)
March 3 Uzbekistan v Qatar (tbc)
April 1 Bahrain v Qatar (tbc)
June 6 Qatar v Australia (tbc)
June 10 Japan v Qatar (tbc)
(Fixtures courtesy of FIFA.com)
Senegal, within Africa, while there will also be
trials in Paraguay.
Project manager Josep Colomer said: “The
response last year was overwhelming, and we
are expecting even more children to attend
the trials this year.
“We had many requests from other
countries to visit them, so we decided to
expand the search into Latin America.”
Trials will take place in the youngsters’
home country before the cream of the crop
are selected to travel to Qatar for the final
rounds of selection at the end of the year.
Those securing a place at the trials at the
Academy will receive the full benefits and
opportunities available to Aspire’s talented
student athletes. The boys will live, study,
train and develop their skills within the Aspire
Academy and be provided with every possible
benefit they will need to forge a career in
professional football.
8 QatarSport Q4.08

Q4.08.news
The Doha-based Global Sports Fund
is set to stage another six of its hugely
popular regional camps for youngsters
between now and June 2009.
The charity, backed by the United
Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, aims
to steer children out of trouble through
their participation in amateur sport.
With much of its funding coming
from Qatar, the Global Sport Fund is
establishing itself as a major force for good
from its offices in the Oatar Olympic
Committee building.
Carl Marsh, project coordinator of the
UNODC Global Sport Fund, explains:
“Global Sport Fund provides funding to
help kids around the world to take up
amateur sport but with a twist – that it is
under the guidance of coaches or mentors
whose role is also to build the social skills
they need.
“So you learn from sport to play by the
rules, of an essence of fair play, you know
to avoid drugs and doping; to use it as a
preventive programme to get kids to steer
clear of drugs and trouble.
“Qatar sees itself as a country that is
promoting sport and part of its foreign
policy is to help build sporting facilities
in other countries and get kids to change
their lives in a positive way.”
Formed in 2003, a key element is the
establishment of youth camps, regional
get-togethers bringing youngsters from
potentially warring nations together to
help build a better tomorrow.
The next will be staged in Abidjan in
the Ivory Coast at the end of October.
Adds Marsh: “We try to bring people in
from across the region – so nine or so from
each neighbouring country. There will be
soccer, basketball and a third sport.
“We want them to have fun and
afterwards they will go into the classroom
to see what they know and what they have
learned. They develop team work and a
number of other strengths. It’s also a time
for cultural exchanges.”
The first Football Without Borders
event took place in 2003 and featured
Iraq, Kuwait, Jordan and Qatar, with the
idea being to unite the children in an
effort to overcome the conflicts between
their parents at such a troubled time. The
results were encouraging. Marsh explains:
“After that we went to Lebanon last year.
Now we want to stage six camps between
now and next June - two in Africa, two
in Asia, two in Latin America and one in
Reaching out to the
world’s youth
The first Global Sports Fund Camp for Youth was held in
Jounieh, Lebanon in October 2007. The GSF sponsors camps
like these all over the world as it promotes the use of sport to
prevent drug use and criminal activity amongst young people.
central eastern Europe. It will be a busy
time but there will be other activities.
We want to give them a life-changing
experience.”
After they have taken part it is then
hoped they return to their communities
to act as ambassadors for the scheme,
discussing the merits of sport and the
ideals they have learned with their peers.
“We hold these regional camps but
then we want to track them afterwards
to see how they progress,” says Marsh.
“To see how they are expanding the
programme through their own leadership
skills. There is nothing like bringing up
kids who can then speak about their
experiences and the benefits.”
And all of its impressive efforts are
being co-ordinated from Doha. “We are
based at Doha in the QOC headquarters.
What we are doing is relying on their
existing resources – media relations,
organising logistics, we can tap into that.
“What we are looking for is for Doha
to be the world HQ for the Global Sport
Fund, taking on a brand of its own. We
want to bring coaches from around the
world and train them here. Qatar has
demonstrated its desire to help youngsters
from around the world through sport by
virtue of its support and funding for us.
Now we need to help deliver that.”
Q4.08 QatarSport 9

Zarkava wins
the 2008 Qatar
Prix de l’Arc
de Triomphe in
classic style.
Triumphant start to ARC sponsorship
Qatar brought ‘a touch of its prestige’
to the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe when it
title-sponsored Europe’s top ranked
horse race for the first time In October.
The 2008 Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe was won in brilliant
style by the unbeaten filly Zarkava (pictured), who became the
87th winner of the race, which is held at the legendary Longchamp
Racecourse in Paris, France.
Qatar’s involvement with the unofficial ‘world championship of
thoroughbred racing’ was secured earlier this year when the Qatar
Racing & Equestrian Club (QREC) signed a five-year sponsorship
agreement from 2008 to 2012 with France Galop, the governing
body of French horse racing.
Thanks to this exclusive partnership, the combined purse for the
Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe weekend was $6.7 million, lifting
the Arc to first position among turf races in terms of prize money
and in terms of rating.
“Over many years, the Arc has been recognised as the best
quality race worldwide, with the highest rating, but because of its
prize money, it was ranked behind other important international
races with inferior ratings,” said France Galop general manager
Emmanuelle Bour. “Thanks to this partnership, the Arc has found
its true place among the most prestigious international races. In
addition, this partnership is an opportunity to shed special light on
Arabian racing. Four races open to Arabian horses will be staged
during the Arc festival, including the 350,000 euro Qatar Arabian
World Cup...the richest Arabian race in the world."
With the support of Qatar Petroleum, which signed a
sponsorship deal with the QREC in June, the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de
Triomphe and Qatar Arabian World Cup will help promote Qatari
horse racing to an international audience. On October 2, three
days before the big race, the QERC also opened the annual ‘Qatar
Equestrian Festival’ in Paris, which aims to promote Arab Horse
Racing among European spectators.
Qatar is using this annual event and encourage owners of the best
Arab horses in the world to compete in Qatar’s major prestige races -
the Qatar International and the Emir’s Sword race.
But the benefits of the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe
sponsorship and associated activities do not end there. QREC
general manager Sami Jassim al-Boenain stresses the sponsorship’s
importance in terms of promoting Qatar’s sporting profile globally.
"This partnership provides us with an opportunity to associate
the most prestigious race in the world with Qatar, which is the
most dynamic country in the Gulf for sport competitions,” he
said. “Qatar is making a determined bid to establish itself on the
world stage, having already announced plans for implementing an
ambitious programme for thoroughbred racing.”
The QREC’s activities over the European flat racing seasons
also included sponsorship pf the Group 1, Qatar Prix Vermeille
at Longchamp on September 14, which was won by Zarkava who
was instantly installed as favourite for the October’s big race.
10 QatarSport Q4.08

Q4.08.news
Doha to host diving
superstars
The Qatar Swimming Federation (QSF) was has won
the right to host the opening round of the elite FINA
World Diving Series in Doha on March 20 – 21, 2009.
The two–day international event was awarded to
the QSF by world swimming’s governing body, FINA,
and will feature participation by the world’s best divers
on an invitation-only basis.
Next year’s invitations will be based on the top
eight competitors in each diving category from the
Beijing Olympic Games. In non-Olympic years, the
invitations will be based on performances from the
previous World Championships.
The Doha event will kick off the Series, which
enters its third year in 2009, and will take in Mexico
City (March 27-28), Sheffield, England (April 18-19)
and Chengzhou, China (April 24-25).
The FINA World Diving Series awards point for
performances at each of the four stages with total
prize money at stake of more than $480,000.
Q4.08 QatarSport 11

o o o o o o o o o
beijing
2008 REVIEW
Beijing
taught us
so much.
Now is the
time to step
up the pace
“Khalil Al Jabber, Chef De Mission of the Qatar team at Beijing 2008 looks back
at this summer’s olympic games and highlights the lessons for sport in QataR
“The Qatar Olympic Team that participated at the against a Korean athlete ranked in the top ten of the
Games of the 29th Olympiad, Beijing 2008, was led by competition. Our swimmer, although he didn’t qualify,
HH Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani, IOC member won his heat.
and President of the Qatar Olympic Committee.
At least six members of our track and field team reached
HH Sheikh Tamim led a 47-member delegation, which the final of their competition and hence ranked in the top
formed the Qatar Olympic Team that resided in the eight or 12 in the world in their respective competitions.
Olympic Village. Of this group, a total of 22 athletes had These results will serve as a platform to introduce newer
been chosen to represent Qatar in seven sports - archery, and much more intense training strategies that should
athletics, swimming, fencing, shooting, taekwondo and help our future athletes enhance these results and reach
weightlifting.
higher levels. I have no doubts that each national federation
The weightlifting athlete withdrew from the Games will evaluate their results and come up with a suitable
because of a last minute injury – and although none of our strategy to advance their sport.
athletes won any medals, there was an improvement in the Most of the venues that hosted the Olympic Games in
overall performance of the Qatar Olympic Team compared Beijing were of very high standard. However, two of them,
to previous Olympic Games.
namely the Water Cube and the Bird’s Nest were the
Our shooter missed on the shoot-out to reach the final highlights of the Games venues for their sophistication
by one point only. Our archer, in his first ever participation and architecture.
in a major event of this magnitude, nearly won his match Regarding the organisation of the Games, there were
12 QatarSport Q4.08

some minor difficulties, however, in general, the Chinese
organisers delivered an excellent Olympic Games that
really reflects the massive resources (human resources,
venues, advanced technologies, etc…) and organisational
skills that this beautiful country possesses.
We have learnt a lot from these Games as they presented
to us an opportunity to indirectly evaluate our skills,
especially following our successful organisation of the 15th
Asian Games in 2006. As a final observation and looking
at the overall results of the Olympic Games, it would not
be a surprise if the People’s Republic of China dominates
Olympic Sports for many years to come. These Games
have shown the true reserves of immense talent that this
country has. Finally, I am thankful to have been involved
in such a wonderful experience and would like to take this
chance to wish our Olympic athletes and all the aspiring
ones well in reaching the highest results in the future
through hard work and perseverance.”
Rally driver and Olympic
shooter, Nasser Saleh
Al Attiyah, was Qatar’s
flag-bearer at the Opening
Ceremony of Beijing 2008.
in the sporting arenas...
Beijing 2008 delivered some tough sporting
lessons for Qatar’s Olympic team, but has inspired
a fresh determination to do better at London 2012
Goodbye Beijing – and thank you.
That was the message from Qatar’s Olympic team after
a challenging three weeks in the Chinese capital, which
saw the 22 athletes leave Beijing empty-handed, but return
to Doha with a wealth of experience and lessons learnt for
the future.
While injuries to key athletes took their toll on Qatar’s
best gold medal prospects (see pages 30-31), the Qatar
Olympic Committee is now focused on responding to the
results of Beijing 2008 and converting its unparalleled
support for Qatar’s sportsmen and women into medals
over the next four-year Olympic cycle.
In Beijing, Qatar fielded competitors in seven sports,
q4.08 QatarSport 13

“THESE RESULTS WILL
SERVE AS A PLATFORM
TO INTRODUCE NEWER
AND MUCH MORE INTENSE
TRAINING STRATEGIES THAT
SHOULD HELP OUR FUTURE
ATHLETES.”
with fencing, archery and taekwondo seeing Qatari
representation for the first time at an Olympic Games. But
with 15 athletes in track and field, athletics was Qatar’s
strong point. Although this was not reflected in the final
medal count, the results from Beijing showed that Qatar
continues to make progress in this most competitive of
Olympic disciplines.
Perhaps the best track performance came from Abu
Baker Ali Kamal, who cruised to the final of the 3000m
steeplechase event in a time of 8:23.63. In the final, Kamal
finished eighth in a time of 8:16.59, little more than one
second short of his personal best, but not quite good
enough for a medal.
Meanwhile, James Kwalia, the gold medalist at the
15th Asian Games Doha 2006, qualified comfortably for
the men’s 5,000m final and in the final strained every
sinew as he shaved more than 10 seconds off his qualifying
time to finish the race in 13 minutes 23.49 seconds. Like
Ali Kamal, Kwalia finished a creditable eighth, behind
Kenenisa Bekele of Ethiopia, who claimed gold in a new
Olympic record of 12:57.82.
Incredibly, Kwalia’s personal best of 12:54.58 would
have been enough to take the Olympic title, but he can
take heart from the fact that he finished ahead of American
Bernard Lagat, the reigning 5,000m world champion,
who finished ninth.
Qatar’s athletics finalists in Beijing also included
Daham Najim Bashir, a gold medal winner from Doha
2006, who qualified for the 1500m event. In the final,
Bashir featured strongly near the front of the pack for the
first three laps, but was left off the pace in a stunning final
lap, which was headed by Bahrain’s Rashid Ramzi - an
athlete Bashir had beaten into third place at the 15th Asian
Games. In fact, Bashir’s personal best of 3:31.04 would
have been enough to win the gold medal, but as is often
the case in Olympic finals, it’s the tactical battle that
counts.
Other special mentions on the track and in the field
should go to Rashid Al Dosari who recorded a throw of
63.83m to make the final 12 of the discuss, and Qatari
sprinter Samuel Francis Adelebari, who ran 10.11 seconds
in his second-round heat to earn a prestigious place in the
semi-final. Adelebari, however, could not repeat that
performance clocking 10.20 seconds to miss a place in the
final.
Away from the Bird’s Nest Stadium, Qatar also put in
some top performances in its new Olympic sports. Qatari
archer Ali Ahmed Salem enjoyed success when he advanced
Clockwise from
top left: James
Kwalia runs ahead
of Bernard Lagat
of the USA during
his 5,000m heat;
Mohammed Issa al-
Thawadi looks at his
time after competing
in the men’s first
round 110m hurdles;
and Rashid Saleh
Hamad competes
in the men’s skeet
competition.
14 QatarSport Q4.08

o o o o o o o o o
beijing
2008 REVIEW
into the round of 32, before losing to South Korea’s Dong
Hyun Im. Meanwhile, Ali Ahmed al-Yazidi was
unfortunate to draw the defending archery champion and
world record holder Im Dong-Hyun, also from South
Korea. The young fencer Khalid Issa Al Hamadi suffered a
similar fate against a Korean opponent, when he also lost
in the round of 32 to the Korean champion Byungchul
Choi. However, national fencing coach Hisham Kharshoud
praised Al Hamadi’s performance. “It is a good experience
for the youngster,” he said. “Competing at the Olympics is
not easy. We should deal with the performance in a realistic
way because fencing is a new sport in Qatar.”
In contrast, perhaps the most disappointing news for
Team Qatar came from the Beijing Shooting Range, where
Nasser Saleh Al Attiyah, Qatar’s flag-bearer at the Opening
Ceremony, finished 14th and 15th on successive days in
the skeet event.
If Beijing was a roller coaster of ups and downs for
Qatar, one cannot finish this sporting report without
mentioning an undiluted Qatari success story and a source
of great personal pride to the participant. In the final week
of Beijing 2008, the referees committee for the volleyball
competition selected Qatar’s international volleyball
referee, Ibrahim Al Naema, as second referee to officiate
the final volleyball match between USA and Russia.
The committee’s selection came after Al Naema
successfully officiated seven crucial volleyball matches in
the Games. “Participating in the Olympic Games motivates
me to improve my refereeing skills and abilities,” said Al
Naema. “It also grants me opportunity to officiate at other
international tournaments.”
Al Naema can now train his eyes on a third Olympic
Games at London 2012, where the Qatar Olympic Team
will continue in its quest for gold, silver and bronze after a
memorable Beijing 2008.
behind the scenes...
The Qatar Olympic Committee took its sporting
message to the world during the Games
The Olympic Games is the ultimate challenge for most
athletes, but it is also a time of opportunity for the National
Olympic Committees (NOCs). This is particularly true of
an NOC with the vision and ambition of the Qatar
Olympic Committee (QOC).
QOC members not only provided the support structure
for the Qatari athletes in Beijing, but worked equally hard
behind the scenes building relationships and exchanging
information with major stakeholders from the international
sporting community.
Over the greater part of the three-week Beijing Games,
QOC Secretary General, Sheikh Saoud represented the
Qatari delegation in an international relations campaign
designed to make friends…and influence people.
In the opening week, the QOC hosted an official
reception ceremony in honour of the Qatari delegation at
the Grand Life Hotel in Beijing - an event attended by
FIFA president, Joseph Blatter, alongside a number of
NOC heads, presidents of international sport
federations and sport personalities from many countries.
NOC’s frequently hold such events during Games-time
in order to enhance sporting relations and to circulate
news of their upcoming sport events. In the second week
of Beijing 2008 the Qatari invitation was reciprocated,
when Sheikh Saoud, accompanied by Abdulrahman Al
Motawa, head of the QOC international relations section,
joined the USA reception ceremony organised by the
United States Olympic Committee.
During the reception, Sheikh Saoud met high–ranking
sport officials including the president of the USA Olympic
Committee, Peter Ueberroth, and the Chicago 2016
HE Sheikh Saoud leads
the Qatari delegation at
the Olympic Village.
q4.08 QatarSport 15

o o o o o o o o o
beijing
2008 REVIEW
Olympic Bid committee’s chairman, Patrick Ryan.
Over the 18 days of the Games there were other
opportunities to get Qatar’s sporting message across. In a
less formal environment, Qatar’s residence at the Olympic
Village became a meeting place for Qatari team members
and administrators to exchange ideas and discuss friendly
issues related to the competition with foreign visitors.
Other QOC communications were directed towards
more than 7,000 journalists and other media members at
the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games Media Centre.
The centre allocated special rooms for participating
countries to display their publications alongside
information about their athletes, upcoming sport events,
and cultural activities.
The QOC used the centre not only to distribute ‘Qatar
Sports’, but other publications on Qatar, as well as special
pamphlets containing details of the ‘Life – Be Part Of It’
exhibition - the one-of-a-kind exhibition that will be
staged in Doha in October, promoting the latest
technologies and discoveries in the fields of sports, health
and well-being of the region.
But no gathering of Qataris at a major sports event
would be complete without a banquet of celebration - and
in the final week of the Games, HE Mr. Abdullah
Abdulrahman al Muftah, Qatar’s Ambassador to the
Peoples Republic of China, held a dinner at his home in
honour of Qatar’s athletes and administrators.
Khalil Al Jaber, Qatar’s Chef De Mission, along with
the heads of numerous QOC sports, were there to hear
Sheikh Saoud applaud the efforts of the Qatari Embassy in
supporting Qatar’s participation in the Games.
Beijing 2008 may have disappointed the QOC in terms
of its gold medal haul, but in terms of winning friends, the
Qatari delegation put in a strong performance, which
should enhance the QOC’s standing in world sport over
the next few years.
promoting understanding...
Two Qatari school schoolchildren took part in the
Olympic Youth Camp and returned to Doha with
amazing tales of their time in Beijing
At the Opening Ceremony for the second edition of the
Schools Olympic Day for the academic year 2008/2009,
two schoolchildren named Ahmed Abdullah Al Boinin
and Ali Aadil Ali Al Mahmoud spoke of their amazing
experiences at the Beijing 2008 Youth Camp.
The two schoolchildren were selected to represent the
State of Qatar at the Youth Camp after putting in
magnificent performances in the first edition of the School
Olympics Day programme.
Ali Al Mahmoud, who is in his first year of secondary
education at Abi Ayyub Al Ansari Boys’ School, said that
he was honoured to represent Qatar at the Youth Camp,
along with nearly 500 male and female participants aged
between 16 and 18 from all over the world.
His fellow-pupil Ahmed Al Boinin, who is in his second
year of secondary school at Omar Ibnulkhattab Scientific
Secondary School, said that the Camp helped to change
other people’s view of the Arab world, while changing the
two Qataris’ views of other people.
Both spoke of their pride when taking part, together
with young people from the Gulf and other parts of the
Arab world, in a day of cultural exchange activities in
which both of them wore the Qatari national costume.
That day, they also took part in presenting ethnic and
traditional Gulf art, which attracted much admiration
from their fellow students.
Ahmed Al Boinin added that some of those taking part
told the young Qataris that their knowledge of the Arab
and Islamic world had increased as a result of their direct
contact with the young Arabs, irrespective of whether
these were from Qatar or elsewhere.
The students explained that the Camp programme also
included a number of outside activities and excursions
aimed at developing a greater understanding of the host
nation, the People’s Republic of China.
The tours helped to inform them of China’s ancient
culture and civilization, as well as its amazing progress and
development. Places visited included the Great Wall of
China, the Chinese Museum, and the Opera House.
There was also a visit to the sporting and residential
facilities that were built to host the Games, including the
Olympic Village. Meanwhile, China’s economic
development was addressed with a visit to the Chinese
Technology Centre, and on the last day of the Camp, a
trip to a modern business complex.
During their time in the Camp, the young Qataris also
took part in a number of recreational activities and sporting
contests and, of course, watched some of the great sports
events taking place in the venues. Both students added
that attending the Opening Ceremony was an
overwhelming experience, which ‘dazzled the eyes’ of those
watching it.
Back in Doha after the Games, Al Boinin and Al
Mahmoud reflected on the benefits they had gained from
taking part in the Camp. First amongst these, they said,
was the chance to get to know people from other cultures,
to create good relations with them, and sometimes change
the viewpoints that some people held towards others.
The youngsters also returned with a greater sense of
self-reliance, and an appreciation of the Olympic
movement, which aims to strengthen the mutual
understanding and friendship between young people.
Qatari students
Ahmed Al Boinin [in
black t-shirt) and
Adel Ali [in white
t-shirt] at the Beijing
2008 Youth Camp.
16 QatarSport Q4.08

18 QatarSport Q4.08

o o o o o o o o o
ASIAN
BEACH GAMES
QATAR TEAM HEADS FOR FIRST
ASIAN BEACH GAMES
The First Asian Beach Games
will see Qatar competing in six
sports when the event kicks
off in Bali this October
THE SPORTS
Beach Handball
Two or three set matches
are played on sand.
Beach Kabbadi
Four players on each side
raid opposition territory.
Pencak Silat
A combative art of fighting
from South East Asia.
Beach Sepaktakraw
An acrobatic mix of
soccer and volleyball.
Beach Soccer
A skillful variant
of football played
on sand.
Beach Volleyball
Beach volleyball is an
Olympic team sport played
on sand.
Beach Wrestling
Beach Wrestling is
practiced within a sand
circle of 6m in diameter.
Body Building
Judges assign points
according to body building
standards.
Dragon Boat Racing
Long boats powered by
10 to 50 paddlers.
Jet-Ski Sport
Jet-Ski Sport is an extreme
competition on a type of
jet ski.
Marathon Swimming
Long distance endurance
swimming in lakes or sea.
Paragliding
Paragliding is a
competitive flying sport
using a free-flying, footlaunched
aircraft.
Sailing
Sailing is a surface water
sport using a boat, sails,
wind and water.
Surfing
The sport of riding on the
crest or along the tunnel
of a wave.
Triathlon
Consists of swimming,
cycling and running over
various distances.
Windsurfing
Windsurfing is a surface
water sport using a
sailboard that is powered
by a single sail.
Woodball
Players use a mallet for
teeing off and for ‘putting’
the ball through a small
wooden gate.
Qatar is to send a strong team to the inaugural Asian Beach Games
in Bali this month.
The event, under the auspices of the Olympic Council Of Asia
(OCA), is set to be a celebration of Asian sports and lifestyles, played
out under the tropical sun on some of Bali’s world-renowned beaches.
“The OCA is always looking for new events to involve its 45
members nations and the Asian Beach Games is the result of their
determination to celebrate sports which can be played on the beach,
but, where possible, have Asian origins,” said Tariq Saed Al-Abdulla
who, as Chef de Mission for the event, will lead Qatar’s party to the
Asian Beach Games.
“Bali was the ideal place to host the first edition of the Games. It has
suffered since it was the victim of a terrorist attack [in 2002] and its
all-important tourism industry has been affected. The Games will help
show Bali to the world and help win back the trust of the tourist
industry,” he said.
The Games combine established beach sports such as football and
volleyball with beach versions of traditional Asian sports, as well as
Dragon Boat and jet-ski racing and paragliding.
Bali, which is home to some 3 million people, is one of 33 provinces
of the Republic of Indonesia. The Games will be centred on the
provincial capital Denpasar towards the south of the island.
“It is a fabulous and popular location, which attracts people from all
nationalities,” said Mr Al-Abdulla. “It is a great country with a very
relaxed pace of life. Bali has a great environment, the people are very
friendly and it is the sort of place where you can lay back on the beach
and let things happen.”
Qatar is to send competitors in six sports as well as its support team.
The nation will be represented in beach football; by two beach volleyball
teams; marathon swimming which be will contested by three Qatari
swimmers; body building , where there are six contestants, and water
polo, an exhibition sport which will be played in the sea rather a pool.
“I think we are likely to be strongest in the handball, body building
and football events although it is difficult to predict any outcomes
because this is such a new event,” Qatar’s Chef de Mission said.
“Because beach sports other than volleyball are not widely contested
in a formal way in Qatar, our federations looked to players of the
‘regular’ game to make up the team at this first Asian Beach Games.
“It is likely that will evolve as time goes on and the event becomes
well-established. The next edition is already slated to take place in
Oman, but I certainly look on it as the type of international event
which could be hosted by Qatar at some time.”
Tariq Saed Al-Abdulla says that while it is impossible to know what
to expect from a sporting perspective, the Qatari team has well-defined
broader ambitions.
“We will try our best to contribute to the success of this event in
every way we can,” he explained.
“We will compete as well as we can and try to make new friends
among the competitors of the 45 nations taking part. We will certainly
be there as ambassadors for Qatar.”
Q4.08 QatarSport 19

o o o o o o o o o
Schools
olympic day
Curtain rises
on schools
olympic Day
Launched under the motto ‘Sport and
Environment’, the second edition of
Schools Olympic Day competition is
now underway
The second edition of the Schools Olympic Day, Qatar’s muchadmired
sports and health initiative, launched in September with an
ambitious expansion programme for 2009.
The inaugural Schools Olympic Day took place during the academic
year 2007-2008 and culminated in a festival of sporting
competition for youth at the Aspire Dome in on March 14, a
date that coincided with the founding of the Qatar Olympic
Committee in 1979.
Soon afterwards, work on the second version began with the
creation of a masterplan for the event and a set of guidelines for
the 2009 edition, as directed by an organising committee, set
up under the leadership of HE Sheikh Saoud Bin Abdulrahman
Al-Thani, Secretary General of the Qatar Olympic Committee.
So what are the main changes for this year’s event?
“Although similar in principle and in soul, the main
differences between the inaugural version and the second one
are numerous,” says Khalil Al Jabber, Director of the Sports
Affair Department at the Qatar Olympic Committee.
“First, the number of Olympic sports has been raised from
eight to nine with the inclusion of table tennis. The number of
schools has increased sharply with the inclusion of
private schools to the government and independent ones that
took part last year.
“The event venue is planned to be the same and we are in the process
of trying to secure the Aspire Dome to host this event. The motto for
this year, however, has been changed from last year’s ‘Sport for Health’
to ‘Sport and Environment – Action through Sport’ as we are aware of
the importance of the environment in the life of the our citizens,
especially the future of this nation, namely the children.“
On the theme of environmental sustainability, Al Jabber continues:
“Although we aim for sport to carry the message of protecting and
respecting our environment, cultural and educational activities will
also play a crucial part in sustaining a long-lasting legacy from this
year’s theme. A series of workshops will be carried out for the teachers
in order to make sure that the message is spread as wide as possible. “
The first annual Schools Olympic Day, launched in 2007, was
widely celebrated as an outstanding success. It saw the participation of
more than 70,000 students affiliated to different government,
independent, private schools alongside foreign community schools,
taking part in the competitions.
The second edition is expected to be an even greater hit, building on
the programme’s vision to encourage the younger generation to get
involved in sport and adopt a healthy lifestyle.
Students take
part in the
inaugural Sports
Olympic Day
finals at the
Aspire Dome
in March. The
2008-2009
programme will
include more
sports and more
schools.
Q4.08 QatarSport 21

o o o o o o o o o
SONY ERICsson
CHamPionships
You’re Simply
The elite of women’s tennis will converge on Doha this November
for the WTA Sony Ericsson Championships
When Qatar hosts the WTA Sony Ericsson
Championships this November, it will rank as the biggest
professional tennis event ever held in the Middle East.
The Qatar Tennis Federation’s investment in tennis has
moved Qatar to the front-rank of countries in terms of the
game’s event management – a fact that was recognised in
2007 when the WTA announced that its prestigious endof-season
event would move to Qatar for a three-year
period commencing in November 2008.
For six days, Qatar will witness the very best that the
women’s game has to offer as the WTA Tour’s top eight
singles players and top four doubles teams compete for
$4.45 million in prize money.
In bidding to host the event, Qatar beat off challenges
from Bangalore, India; Istanbul, Turkey; and Monterrey,
Mexico. Now that Qatar has the right to host the event
through 2010, the benefits of hosting such a blue-chip
event are likely to be numerous and diverse.
Aside from the fact that Doha will generate huge
international media exposure, hosting the Sony Ericsson
Championships reinforces the point that Qatar is
recognised by key rights holders as capable of holding
world-class events - a point which bodes well in light of
Qatar’s ambition to host the Summer Olympics in 2020.
Sony Ericsson WTA Tour CEO Larry Scott made it
clear that Qatar’s success in securing the event was also
about much more than money when he announced the
event would be going to Doha: “Doha has been a longstanding
supporter of women’s tennis,” he said. “It has
demonstrated the ability to host world class sporting
events such as the Asian Games.”
Indeed, in a region of the world where attitudes to
women’s sport have only recently opened up, Qatar has
done more than most to change the culture - not just in
tennis, but across the full sporting spectrum.
Former QTF president Sheikh Mohammad Bin Faleh
Al Thani, who was in charge when the Sony Ericsson event
was signed up, made it clear how important he regarded
this goal when he said: “As the first country in the region
to have staged a women’s professional tennis event, we are
particularly pleased to offer women tennis players equal
prize money at the Sony Ericsson Championships for the
first time ever.
“Qatar has proven its ability to host incredibly successful
world class sporting events, and we look forward to
welcoming the world’s best female athletes and making the
Sony Ericsson Championships in 2008-2010 the best
season-ending finale ever seen.”
Crucially, it’s not just the organisers and rights owner
that are happy. The players also enjoy Doha. When Amélie
Mauresmo learned that Qatar would be hosting the event,
she said she was “really excited that Doha will host our
Championships. Players really enjoy playing in Doha.
We’re a global sport and it’s great that we are able to feature
our very best event in different regions.”
There’s little doubt that Doha will do a good job. Over
and above the QTF’s established expertise in staging such
events, Qatar has expanded and enhanced the Khalifa
International Tennis Complex, a facility which was already
one of the best in the world.
And not surprisingly, given all the positives that
surround the event, local sponsors have been encouraged
to play a part. Although Sony Ericsson has the title rights
to the WTA Tour, the ability of Qatari companies to lend
their support at a secondary level is important - since it
reinforces Qatar’s nation-building ambitions.
From left to right:
Dinara Safina,
Serena Williams,
Elena Dementieva,
Ana Ivanovic and
Jelena Jankovic.
22 QatarSport Q4.08

the best
A good case in point is the decision by Qatargas to come on board
as a bronze sponsor of the Sony Ericsson Tennis Championship -
having worked with the QTF on a number of professional tennis
events in the past.
Commenting on that decision, Ghanim Al-Kuwari, Qatargas Chief
Operating Officer, Administration, said: “’We are glad to be part of
such a prestigious championship because it is in line with our corporate
citizenship. Qatargas has partnered with QTF during many major
events and we will continue our support in promoting sporting and
other social events in Qatar.”
Then there is Sony Ericsson itself - a world-class company that seeks
to energise the fan experience at the Championships through
the integration of innovation and technology. Once that expertise
is introduced to the mix, Qataris can look forward to an
exceptional end result.
But which of the world’s best women’s players are we likely to see in
Doha? As of September 22, 2008, the top eight singles players were as
star-studded as any tennis fan could wish for: Jelena Jankovic, Serena
Williams, Dinara Safina, Elena Dementieva, Ana Ivanovic, Maria
Sharapova, Svetlana Kuznetsova and Venus Williams.
Jankovic, Serena Williams, Safina, Dementieva and Ivanovic have
already secured five of the treasured singles spots for the Championships.
And as Ivanovic comments, winning in Doha would cap a brilliant
year for the Serbian. “This 2008 season has been a great year for me, as
I achieved two of my life’s goals by winning my first Grand Slam and
reaching No.1 in the rankings,” she said. “To win the tournament in
Doha would be the perfect end to a season that I will never forget.”
Whoever now joins this quintet in the final eight, Larry Scott,
believes this year’s Championship will indeed be something special.
“The Sony Ericsson Championships in Doha promises to be one of the
most exciting season-ending finales in Tour history,” he said.
And with Cara Black and Liezel Huber, the 2008 US Open Doubles
Champions, also confirmed for the championships, the calibre of
talent in Doha will be phenomenal for an event that can only cement
Qatar’s reputation as one of the world’s pre-eminent destinations for
professional tennis.
Q4.08 QatarSport 23

o o o o o o o o o
star
IN QATAR
African soccer star Lomana LuaLua is bringing his unique talent to the
increasingly high-profile Qatar Stars League
anything is
Above: Lomana LuaLua
wears the red and white
of Al-Arabi in Doha.
Opposite page: LuaLua
achieves lift-off playing
for his country, the DCR
Congo.
When Lomana LuaLua scored from a corner in the
semi-final of the season-opening Sheikh Jassim Cup, he
celebrated with the back-flips that made him famous.
The Congolese international says he only performs his
acrobatic tricks these days when he scores a really special
goal, but given his age and talent, there should be plenty
more to come as he enjoys his first season in the Qatar
Stars League with his ambitious new club Al Arabi.
The 28-year-old forward with seven years experience of
the English Premier League playing for Newcastle United
and Portsmouth, plus a season with Greek champions
Olympiakos in the Champions League, chose Al Arabi
over clubs in Spain, England, Russia and Saudi Arabia.
He became a firm crowd favourite with Olympiakos
during his stay in Athens, but when Al Arabi came calling,
LuaLua decided to take up a new challenge.
In fact, the Congo-born, London-raised striker says he
could have joined Al Arabi two years ago, but for some
agents ‘messing up the deal’.
So what persuaded him to move to Doha this time?
“I had a great relationship with the fans at Olympiakos
and really enjoyed my football there, but when I came here
and met the chairman, Sheikh Faisal [Bin Mubarak Al-
Thani], he told me about the ambition he has for this club
and about its history,” LuaLua says.
“He told me that Al Arabi was one of the most popular
clubs in Qatar, but had not won a major trophy for a long
time. There was a lack of self-belief and he wanted me to
help change all that. My mother said never live your life
with regrets and I decided I wanted to be part of the things
they are building here. At Al Arabi, we believe that
anything is possible.”
LuaLua’s arrival at the club has had an immediate
impact. In the Sheikh Jassim Cup final against Al Rayyan
at Doha Stadium he opened the scoring to help his new
club to a 3-0 victory and its first such trophy since 1994.
But there was more to his move than his belief in the
positive direction of his new club. “It’s not just about Al
Arabi,” he says. “I don’t think people in Europe realise just
how strong the Qatar league is. They used to take players
I DON’T THINK PEOPLE IN EUROPE
REALISE JUST HOW STRONG THE QATAR
LEAGUE IS…THEY ARE now GETTING
PLAYERS AT their peaK
from Europe and South America at the end of their career,
but now they are getting young players like myself and my
striking partner Kim [from Brazil] who are at their peak
between 26, 27 and 28 years-old.”
Just as important is the commitment of the league
authorities in making the Qatar Stars League a real force in
world football. “They want to be known and respected in
football and they are doing everything they can do in the
right way,” says Lua Lua. “The facilities at Al Arabi are top
class - the training pitches, the gym, the medical facilities,
everything. And everywhere you go, there are nice stadiums
and that shows just how much football means to them.
“I always want to have a target in my career. The league
says they want to get football up to new a level and
‘Inshalla’, as they say, with good grace, I’ll be part of some
really good things here.”
Frustratingly sidelined for the first three weeks of the
new Qatar Stars League season because of a hamstring
injury, LuaLua has nevertheless formed a clear impression
of the league. “The pace is completely different from the
Premier League where it’s too fast and you have to think
really quickly,” he says. “Here it’s more technical and
skilful, but it’s a good standard and very competitive.”
It’s a standard, however, that LuaLua hopes to raise
even higher by example. “When I started my Premier
League career with Newcastle United, watching players
like Alan Shearer in training inspired me to work harder
and raise my own standard. I’m hoping that I can do that
with some of the local players and help them become more
professional.” LuaLua, of course, has also joined the league
at a time when Qatari hopes for their national team are at
a high point as they strive to qualify for the 2010 FIFA
World Cup. “Speaking to Al Arabi’s Qatar national team
players, they are determined to go to the World Cup and,
if they do that, the League will also step up a gear. When
Greece won Euro 2004, for example, people were more
respectful and interested in the Greek league and hopefully
this will happen here.” For LuaLua, however, the flights to
and from the DCR Congo to play his part in the African
country’s own World Cup campaign will continue.
“There’s nothing better for a footballer than wearing
your country’s shirt,” he says. “As a player you dream of
two things: playing at the highest level and playing for
your country. Congo was the first African team to enter
the World Cup in 1974. As the captain of the national
team, my dream is to get into the World Cup - just like
Qatar which also wants to make football history.”
24 QatarSport Q4.08

possible
Q4.08 QatarSport 25

Commercialbank
masters the art
of sponsorship
One of the Gulf’s leading banks, Commercialbank of Qatar, is building its
brand by backing Qatar’s leading golf and MotoGP events
A lot of behind-the-scenes work goes into building a
best-of-class financial services group.
Take the example of Commercialbank of Qatar.
Founded in 1975, the bank has operations in Qatar,
Sharjah and Oman, and has built its business on product
innovation, clear customer focus, financial efficiency,
market diversification and ongoing commitment to both
its employees and local communities.
The bank has risen rapidly in both the corporate and
retail sectors, but its directors understand that continued
growth needs to be supported by a clear marketing and
communications strategy. That’s why Commercialbank
has become one of the major supporters of Qatar-based
golf during the last few years.
Having been around for three decades, Commercialbank
has long understood the business benefits of correctlypositioned
sponsorships. And it was quick to identify golf
as the ideal platform to achieve both its consumer-facing
and business-to-business goals. Having done so, 2006 saw
Commercialbank step in as title sponsor of the Qatar
Masters - an 11 year-old professional golf event which
takes place at the Doha Golf Club in January each year.
The title sponsorship, which saw Commercialbank sign
up for three years (2006-2008), heralded an exciting new
era for all those involved. From the bank’s perspective, the
event fulfils a number of strategic goals. For a start, it
provides the bank with premium exposure outside its
domestic market. For the 2008 edition, 160-200m TV
viewers worldwide were able to tune in to the event -
which is sanctioned by the European Tour. Not only that,
but a sophisticated website meant that golf fans around
the world could stay right up-to-date with any developments
during the course of the four-day event.
Within Qatar, the impact of the sponsorship has been
just as significant. When the Masters launched in 1998,
the event audience was in the hundreds. But by 2008, a
record-breaking 20,000 people took time out to see Adam
Scott win his second title. At the same time, the Masters
has given the bank a fantastic platform for entertaining
corporate guests. The 2008 edition of the event saw the
introduction of stunning new hospitality suites - providing
the bank with the ideal surroundings for entertaining
customers. Indeed, the quality of hospitality at the 2008
event propelled the Qatar Masters into the front-rank of
corporate entertaining.
For some sponsors, that level of commitment would be
more than enough. But Commercialbank made it clear
from the start that it wants to be much more than just a
sleeping partner.
Evidence for this comes at a number of levels - the most
high-profile of which is the $2.5 million prize fund. The
significance of such an investment is that the
Commercialbank Qatar Masters has been able to push
itself up the pecking order when it comes to attracting top
international players. Although it has always been a
superbly-run event, it is noticeable how the field’s quality
26 QatarSport Q4.08

o o o o o o o o o
Partners
in sport
The Commercialbank
Qatar Masters set new
standards of sponsorship
recognition and
hospitality in the Gulf
region earlier this year.
has improved since the banking
brand added its support. In 2005,
for example, Ernie Els was the only
player in the world Top 50 to take
part. But by 2008, a star-studded
line-up included former champion
Henrik Stenson and Ryder Cup
hopefuls such as Sergio Garcia, Lee
Westwood, Luke Donald, Ian
Poulter, Paul Casey and Colin
Montgomerie.
This array of talent has helped
boost the profile of the bank, Qatar
and the event itself. But it’s not the only way in which the
event is promoted. To ensure that the event remains in the
global spotlight from both a sporting and a cultural
perspective, world-famous celebrities from the fields of
athletics, football, tennis, cricket, movies and music were
invited to watch the event and play in the Rolex Pro-Am
- which took place just before the Qatar Masters teed off.
Commercialbank’s support for the sponsorship starts
right at the top of the company - with Group CEO Andy
Stevens a vocal supporter of the partnership. But what
makes Stevens’ backing particularly interesting is that he
sees the sponsorship as one part of a wider effort to put
Qatar on the global map. Speaking at the 2008 Masters,
he commented on the way in which Qatar’s ‘visionary bid
to host the Olympic Games in 2016 as well as the successful
staging of the 2006 Asian Games, underlines how Qatar
and its people are committed to establishing the country
as a world-class venue’. He called The Commercialbank
Qatar Masters ‘a part of that masterplan’.
That masterplan is about nation-building. And it is
manifested in a number of ways. One of these is the sense
of solidarity it creates among the event’s organisational
and commercial partners. Stevens, for example, has talked
up the role of the Qatar Olympic Committee and the
Qatar Golf Association in making the event happen.
But, of course, Commercialbank recognises that nationbuilding
isn’t just about corporate high-fliers - it’s also
about what’s going on at grass roots. So it was noteworthy
that 45 of the bank’s employees volunteered to support the
Doha Asian Games in 2006. Demonstrating the bank’s
commitment to Qatar, the bank granted each staff
volunteer leave to support the Games.
Looking again at its core activities in golf, the Qatar
Masters deal has also enabled Commercialbank to
strengthen its relationship with the wider Qatari
community. For example, attendance to the event is free
to the public; a point of particular pride to Hassan Al
Nuami - the hard-working president of the Qatar Golf
Association. “We are the only Middle East tournament on
the PGA European Tour that allows the fans to see worldclass
golfers for nothing,” he says. “This makes the event a
very popular tournament with players, spectators and
officials.” Not only that, it’s a great piece of audience
engagement for a sponsor like Commercialbank.
Having put golf at the heart of its communications
strategy, Commercialbank also seeks to keep the
momentum going throughout the year. For example, it is
renowned for its corporate golf days - which raise significant
funds for organisers and staff of the Shaffalah Centre for
Children with Special Needs in Doha.
Indeed, each year, paintings by Shaffalah children are
displayed at Doha Golf Club during the Masters - where
they prove very popular with guests, according to Stevens.
“The paintings are a great talking point and were quickly
bought by many of our guests. The Shaffalah Centre does
an excellent job and we were only too happy to help them
raise vital funds through the Masters.”
While Commercialbank’s partnership with the Qatar
Masters sits at the heart of its marketing strategy, it’s
important to stress that the company is also active in the
field of motorsport through its sponsorship of the MotoGP
Grand Prix Of Qatar - which has been held at Losail
International Circuit since 2004.
Having signed up in 2006, Commercialbank is now
three years into a relationship that is strong on excitement
and innovation.
2008’s edition of the race went down in history as the
first MotoGP race ever to be run at night using state-ofthe-art
lighting which is designed not to dazzle the
competitors. For a sponsor like Commercialbank, the
significance of such a development can’t be underestimated.
It means the race can be held at a time which is
suitable for European TV viewing, which gives the bank
greater media exposure and underlines Qatar’s ability to
manage ambitious international sports events - a factor
which dovetails perfectly with Commercialbank’s nationbuilding
agenda.
Q4.08 QatarSport 27

Sony Ericsson WTA Championships
Qatar Bowling Open
Commercialbank Qatar Masters
Tour of Qatar
Valencia MotoGP spain 26/10/08
Qatar Squash Classic Khalifa Squash Complex 27/10/08
Superbikes Portugal 02/11/08
Brazilian Grand Prix Brazil 02/11/08
ATP’s Tennis Masters Cup shanghai, China 03/11/08
Sony Ericsson Tennis Championships Khalifa Tennis Complex 04/11/08
Int. Car Endurance Rally Losail Circuit 06/11/08
The 8th.Arab Shooting Championship Losail Shooting Gallery 10/11/08
ITU Triathlon Asian Cup Hong Kong 15/11/08
Davis Cup World Group Final tBC 21/11/08
The 4th. Asian Artistic Gymnastic Championship aspire Zone 23/11/08
Qatar Int. Bowling Open Champs Qatar Bowling Center 04/12/08
Gulf Sailing Trophy doha Sailing Club 08/12/08
The 2nd. Cycling Golden Shirt Open Championship around Qatar 18/12/08
Doha U-16 Handball Int. Championship al Gharrafa Club 18/12/08
‘Dakar Rally’ argentina and Chile 03/01/09
Exxon/Mobil Open Tennis Championship Khalifa Tennis Complex 05/01/09
Qatar Golf Open Championship doha Golf Club 08/01/09
Qatar Fencing Grand Prix aspire Zone 16/01/08
The 8th. Int. Football Friendship Champs Club Stadiums 20/01/08
Qatar Golf Masters Championship doha Golf Club 22/01/09
NHL All-Star Game Montreal, Canada 25/01/09
Dubai Desert Classic Emirates 29/01/09
Qatar 8th. Int. Cycling Tour around Qatar 01/02/09
Super Bowl XLIII tampa, Florida 01/02/09
Events diary - International and Qatar
Q4.08 QatarSport 29

o o o o o o o o o
Health &
Society
The Aspetar Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Hospital in Doha aims
to gain a place among the highest ranked sporting injury
treatment centres in the world
trackINg thE
best treatment
If the world’s greatest sports stars ever
needed reminding just how vulnerable they
are to injury, the Beijing Olympic Games
provided a strong dose of reality.
China’s athletics hero, Liu Xiang, for one,
will never forget the moment he limped away
from the Bird’s Nest Stadium unable to race
after four year’s preparation and anticipation.
The 110m hurdler was struck down by an
Achilles injury to his right foot after just one
false start in his first-round heat, shattering
his own Olympic dreams and those of 91,000
people in the stadium and around one billion
Chinese watching on television.
With so much success elsewhere at the
Games, China, perhaps, could afford to lose
one gold medal prospect, but when Qatar’s
Olympic team was shaken by injuries to
two of its running stars - before and
during the Games - its gold medal hopes were
hugely diminished.
Saif Saaeed Shaheen, Qatar’s 3,000m
steeplechase world record-holder missed all
of last season due to knee and Achilles
injuries. He finally admitted defeat in his bid
to be fit for the Games in July, just one month
before the Games.
Mubarak Hassan Shami, on the other
hand, was a big medal hope in the men’s
marathon right up until the last day of the
Games, but Qatar’s 2007 world championship
silver medalist failed to finish the race because
of a long-standing injury.
In sport, of course, nothing is guaranteed
and the possibility of injury is a concern for
every sportsman and woman. But access to
world-class sports medicine treatment and facilities can
greatly enhance the longevity of sporting careers and, in this
respect, Qatar is enjoying notable success.
The Aspetar Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Hospital
in Doha meets international standards in its treatment of
orthopaedic problems and athletic injuries and strives to be
the pre-eminent facility of its kind in the Middle East and
beyond. It has selected a host of talented and highly
experienced medical consultants who are leading specialists
in their fields to provide world-class care
and services in a truly modern, state-of-the
art hospital. In fact, when the hospital
hosts some of the world’s most illustrious
sports injury experts at the First Annual
Aspetar Arabian Gulf Sports Medicine
Meeting in Doha this November, it will be a
meeting of equals.
So where does Aspetar stand among the
top sports medicine facilities worldwide? Key
to Aspetar’s medical programme is the
leadership provided by Dr. Peter Fowler, the
former medical director of the world famous
Fowler Kennedy Sport Medicine Clinic
[FKSMC] at The University of Western
Ontario, Canada.
Dr. Fowler, along with Dr. Jack Kennedy,
established a small athletic injuries clinic at
the University in 1974, which ultimately
became one of the leading sport medicine
operations in North America. Today, he is
recognised as a leading sport medicine expert
and his presence at Aspetar has drawn top
class orthopaedic surgeons, like Dr Craig
Bottoni, to work at the facility.
Not surprisingly, given that advances in
the professionalism of American sports have
gone hand-in-hand with advances in sports
medicine, his core team trained in North
America. The United States, for example, is
home to another world famous facility, the
Steadman Hawkins Clinic in Vail, Colorado.
Dr Richard Hawkins will also be a guest at
the Gulf Sports Medicine Meeting, and with
his colleague, Dr. Richard Steadman, the
clinic has solved a wide array of orthopaedic
problems related, in particular, to the knee.
Professional athletes from all sports, especially European
soccer stars, have been coming to the Vail clinic for treatment
of severe knee injuries. Visitors to Vail include famous
players like the former England striker, Alan Shearer,
Brazilian World Cup star Ronaldo, and Allesandro Del
Piero of Italy. Recently, Newcastle United’s Michael Owen,
who was only 26 when he injured his knee in 2006, visited
the clinic to solve problems similar to those suffered by
Above: Liu Xiang feels the
pain of injury during this
short-lived apperance at
Beijing 2008.
Left: Curt Schilling ,Fabio
Cannavaro, Michael Own
and Jose Maria Olazabal
have all benefitted from top
class orthopaedic treatment.
30 QatarSport Q4.08

Shearer. Dr Steadman’s reputation among elite athletes,
however, is not limited to European footballers. His expertise
is in demand for professional ski racers, golfers, and National
Football League (NFL), National Basketball League (NBA)
Major League Baseball (MLB), and National Hockey
League (NHL) athletes.
Similarly, the Massachusetts General Hospital Sports
Medicine Center in Boston has a global reputation as a
sports medicine centre of excellence for pro sports. Dr
Charlie Brown, another guest at the Aspetar Sports Medicine
meeting, is part of the medical team, which is renowned for
being at the cutting edge of sports surgical medicine. This is
the main reason why the Boston Red Sox (MLB), New
England Patriots (NFL), Boston Bruins (NHL), and New
England Revolution (NBA) all come to the facility to repair
their sports stars. Meanwhile, on the west coast of America,
the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is gaining
a reputation as a sports medicine hub serving the university’s
elite sportsmen and women. UCLA sent 33 athletes and six
coaches to this summer’s Olympic Games, and along with
the world’s largest WADA-accredited sports drug-testing
facility, UCLA has emerged as specialists in sports
orthopaedic care.
Europe too has its sports medicine stars. Dr Hans-
Wilhelm Müller-Wohlfarth, the club doctor at Bayern
Munich has emerged as another world leader in the
treatment of sports injuries. He has treated footballers such
as Jürgen Klinsmann, athletes like Paula Radcliffe, and
golfers like José María Olazábal, the 1994 US Masters golf
champion, who was suffering from the crippling effects of
rheumatoid arthritis before he visited Müller-Wohlfarth.
Focusing on soft tissue treatment, Müller-Wohlfarth
recently treated America’s world champion 100m star Tyson
Gay pre-Beijing 2008, using a variety of machines on the
sprinter’s strained hamstring, including ultrasound, microcurrent
and lasers. In this case, however, he was unable to
get the athlete to the starting blocks in time to challenge the
star of the Games, Jamaica’s Usain Bolt.
Europe too is home to the Vienna Private Clinic, which
under Professor Dr. Rudolf Schabus, specialises in sports
medicine, arthroscopic (keyhole) surgery and rehabilitation.
This year, the Italy soccer captain Fabio Cannavaro
underwent surgery on his left ankle at the clinic before Euro
2008. Although disappointed to miss the championship, he
was expected to be back in action within two months.
As Aspetar proves, such outstanding treatment is no
longer exclusive to North America and Europe. The Olympic
Park Sports Medicine Centre in Melbourne, Australia, for
example, regularly operates on elite sportsmen and women
– and has done since it was founded in 1987. Meanwhile, in
Japan, the Hokkaido University School of Medicine has
gained a worldwide reputation for producing first-class
medical research on orthopaedic procedures in sport. Some
of the most interesting developments, however, are currently
taking place in China. The Department of Sports Medicine
and Arthroscopy Surgery at Fudan University has been
recognised as an exclusive unit for professional athletes
with sports injuries by the Shanghai Municipal Sports
Bureau and is the preferred medical centre for major
international sports events in Shanghai – the home town
of Liu Xiang. Every year the Sports Medicine Centre
performs about 1,200 arthroscopic operations,
demonstrating that the boundaries of sports medicine are
being pushed all over the world.
Q4.08 QatarSport 31

www.globalsportfund.com
Youth in sport—
Create a world
of motion!
Imagine what would happen if the
1.7 billion youth — more than a
quarter of the world’s population
under 25 years of age — took part in
a sport. What a world of motion that
would be. The Global Sport Fund
(GSF) is working to help young people
do just that. It is an initiative of the
United Nations Office on Drugs and
Crime and the Qatar Olympic
Committee to aid youth to develop
their potential, live healthy lifestyles,
and stay away from drugs.

World sports
rankings
the best of the best in sport… at a glance
World Football - at 28/08/08
Points
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
71
72
73
74
75
Spain
Germany
Italy
Netherlands
Croatia
Brazil
Argentina
Czech Republic
Portugal
Russia
Romania
France
Turkey
England
Cameroon
Scotland
Bulgaria
Greece
Ghana
Israel
--
Qatar
Congo DR
South Africa
Bosnia-Herzegovina
Gabon
1557
1343
1320
1299
1282
1242
1219
1146
1122
1023
1021
1012
1010
1003
994
988
930
896
892
876
--
458
456
451
448
448
Men’s Table Tennis - at 28/08/08
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Hao Wang CHN
Lin Ma CHN
Long Ma CHN
Ligin Wang CHN
Vladimir Samsonov BLR
Timo Boll GER
Qi Chen CHN
Seung Min Ryu KOR
Se Hyuk Joo KOR
Chih-YuaChuan TPE
Clockwise from
the left: Spain’s
national soccer
team; Rafael
Nadal; Tiger
Woods; and
China’s Yining
Zhang.
Points
12946.50
12867.25
12757.75
12628.75
12596
12492.50
12476.25
12350
12217.75
12147.25
World Golf - at 28/08/08
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Tiger Woods (USA)
Phil Mickelson (USA)
Padraig Harrington (IRL)
Sergio Garcia (ESP)
Vijay Singh (FJI)
Henrik Stenson (SWE)
Stewart Cink (USA)
Ernie Els (RSA)
Geoff Ogilvy (AUS)
Steve Stricker (USA)
Points
17.65
9.91
7.80
6.78
6.65
5.47
5.12
5.12
5.06
4.99
Women’s Table Tennis - at 28/08/08 Points
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Yining Zhang CHN
Yue Guo CHN
Xiaoxia Li CHN
Yan Guo CHN
Nan Wang CHN
Jia Wei Li SIN
Yue Gu Wang SIN
Huajun Jiang HKG
Tianwei Feng SIN
Yana Tie HKG
12930
12790.25
12787.25
12677
12655.25
12526
12416.25
12339.75
12277
12234.25
Women’s Tennis - at 28/08/08
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Ana Ivanovic (SRB)
Jelena Jankovic (SRB)
Serena Williams (USA)
Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS)
Maria Sharapova (RUS)
Elena Dementieva (RUS)
Dinara Safina (RUS)
Venus Williams (USA)
Anna Chakvetadze (RUS)
Vera Zvonareva (RUS)
Points
3612
3515
3341
3181
3131
3070
3047
2586
2230
2117
Men’s Tennis - at 28/08/08
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Rafael Nadal ESP
Roger Federer SUI
Novak Djokovic SRB
David Ferrer ESP
Nikolav Davydenko RUS
Andy Murray GBR
David Nalbandian ARG
Andy Roddick USA
James Blake USA
Stanislas Wawrinka SUI
Points
6700
5930
5105
2865
2700
2415
1975
1845
1725
1670
Q4.08 QatarSport 33

34 QatarSport Q4.08

As the world’s elite squash
playerS GATHER for the Qatar
Squash Classic, Jahangir Khan,
President of the World Squash
Federation, outlines his vision
for the FUTURE OF THE SPORT
After a period in which squash was in decline in some of
its traditional strongholds, how is the sport developing
internationally?
Squash may be termed an old sport in contemporary
times - but we have seen numerous developments since
its creation more than a hundred years ago. We have
significant growth across all five continents: the sport is
now played in over 155 countries and there are more WSF
Member Nations than ever before - now 140, compared
with 118 in the 2005 IOC Programme Commission
review!
So, while the sport might have levelled out in some
of our ‘traditional strongholds’ like the UK, Pakistan,
Australia and New Zealand, we are enjoying tremendous
growth in exciting ‘new’ areas of the world like the USA,
Malaysia, France, the Netherlands, Mexico and Colombia.
Furthermore Egypt, where the sport is second only to
football in popularity, is now a major force in world
squash.
How important is the Middle East as a region for the
promotion and development of squash?
The Middle East has become a hugely important region
for the development of squash - the sport is well covered
in the sector and some of the sport’s biggest events are
now staged in the region. We are into our second decade
of major events in Qatar, where the Qatar Classic has
become one of the sport’s most prized titles.
Khan’s
global
vision
We also have major championships in Kuwait and,
more recently, in Saudi Arabia - and plans are underway
for events in both Dubai and Abu Dhabi. The Saudi
International was launched only three years ago, since
when the event has attracted live TV coverage for squash
in the country for the first time. And, with a prize-fund of
$250,000, the PSA Super Series Platinum championship
has now become the richest in the sport
What are your impressions of the Qatar tournament in
terms of facilities, support and welcome?
Qatar established the sport in its country in 1984 and
has been able to evolve systems that are sophisticated.
The country enthusiastically supports the promotion of
squash. The upgrade to the [Khalifa] squash complex and
all related facilities, especially before the Asian Games in
2006, shows the clear commitment to the development
of the sport within the country and its keen attention to
quality and perfectionism.
I have found the people from Qatar most welcoming
and courteous at all times and I am sure they will extend
the same genuine spirit of camaraderie to the players in
the upcoming Qatar tournament as they have done in the
past. I had the opportunity to play in Qatar in 1993, at the
end of my career, and experienced first-hand the welcome
extended by Qatar people and authorities.
Qatar event champions read like a ‘Who’s Who’ of
squash - including Jansher Khan, Jonathon Power, Peter
Nicol, Amr Shabana, Sarah FitzGerald
and Nicol David. Indeed the popular
showcourt at the Khalifa Squash Complex
in Doha - which hosted the men’s World
Open in 1998 - was one of the first
permanently-sited, all-glass courts in the
world.
Who are the stars the public might look out
for at the upcoming Qatar tournament?
Egyptians Amr Shabana and Ramy
Ashour, plus Frenchman Gregory Gaultier
and Englishman James Willstrop - and in
the women’s championship, Malaysian
Nicol David and the Australian-born
sisters Rachael and Natalie Grinham. But
of course it would be nice to see all the
top-ranked players in action.
the big interview
Jahangir Khan was
elected as President
of the World Squash
Federation in 2002
after an illustrious
playing career during
the 1980s and early
1990s (see above).
Q4.08 QatarSport 35

Egyptian star Amr
Shabana in action
in Doha.
“Squash is well covered in the
middle East and some of the
sport’s biggest evenTs are
now stageD in the region”
In what other areas are you pursuing the sport’s growth?
Of particular significance is the rapid growth and spread
of juniors. The European junior circuit goes from strength
to strength and our men’s world junior championships
in Switzerland in August boasted a record entry - and
finished with all five continents being represented in the
top nine teams! A year earlier, the women’s world team
championships saw the five IOC continents represented
by the top seven teams.
A great number of our successful juniors go on to build
successful careers on the Tours - like Nicol David, the first
to win our biennial world junior title twice, who now
heads the women’s WISPA world rankings, and Ramy
Ashour of Egypt who reached number two in the world
less than twelve months after securing his second world
junior crown.
Indeed, there is now demand from our member nations
not only to stage both men’s and women’s events annually
(they are currently biennial) but also to establish a junior
global ranking system. At the other end of the age range,
we boast a vibrant Masters programme - and later this year
more than 750 competitors will compete in the World
Masters Championships in New Zealand.
As one of the greatest players in the sport’s history, how do
you sum up what makes squash special?
Each sport is special in its own way for the person who
excels, who devotes his life to it and is determined to
reach the greatest heights. Whenever a sport is played with
the utmost perfection and devotion, it becomes a work
of art and a thrill to watch as well as play. What is more
important is that our young players raise the expectations
they have of themselves, and make the game one that the
whole world would like to play, watch and enjoy.
Squash is one of the fastest and most athletic sports,
requiring agility, endurance, power, racket skills, reflexes,
speed and strength. Indeed it has been noted as one of the
world’s healthiest sports. In this high-pressured era, where
time is so precious, squash is also competitive. It is a sport
for all, quite simply the perfect sport!
What has been your most treasured memory from your
time in and around squash?
Most of my memories are unforgettable, as for all players
and champions - but to have won the British Open and
World Open as many times as I did, and to have achieved
the records I have in the sport, will always be special and
memorable.
Do you retain hopes that squash will one day become an
Olympic sport?
This has been the prime focus of the WSF for many years
now and, whilst we recognise the formidable competition
represented by the other sports also seeking inclusion, we
are confident that squash will become part of the Olympic
Games in 2016.
Five sports were short-listed for addition to the 2012
Games programme - and squash came out on top of that
list, but then failed to achieve the two-thirds majority
votes for any new sport to be included in the Games.
Now with the change of rules - reducing the requirement
to a simple majority - it is my firm belief that all those
working towards the sport’s inclusion in the Olympics,
and participating in lobbying and propagating the sport,
have finally been and will be heard!
The final decision will be made in October 2009 at the
IOC session in Copenhagen. As a player, I always dreamed
of being part of the Olympic Games. Despite winning all
the titles I did, including World and British Open crowns,
I always regretted that I was denied the opportunity of
winning an Olympic medal. As President of the WSF for
the past six years it has been my privilege to lead the effort
to see squash become part of Olympics.
Squash is now played in over 20 multi-sport Games,
including the World Games, All Africa Games, Pan Am
Games, Commonwealth Games, and the World Masters
Games - compared with just two events in 1991! The
Olympic Games is the last piece of the jigsaw!
Today’s top squash players, who are among the most
athletic sportsmen and women in the world, deserve to
have the chance to taste Olympic participation. Success
in the Games would represent the pinnacle of their
achievements. Now I will be keenly watching to see the
inclusion of squash in the 2016 Olympic Games.
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