Overview: The Schools Olympic Program is a national school-sport initiative organised by the Qatar Olympic Committee in cooperation with the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, the Qatar School Sports Federation and the Qatar Paralympic Committee.

Establishment: The Schools Olympic Program was launched in response to an initiative by His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Amir of the State of Qatar. Its first edition was held during the 2007–2008 academic year under the theme “Sport and Health,” as part of the sustainable legacy of the Doha 2006 Asian Games.

Core objectives: The programme aims to promote sports culture in schools, encourage healthy lifestyles, increase regular participation and identify students with sporting potential. It also creates a link between school participation, national federations, clubs and longer-term athlete-development pathways.

Competition structure: Competitions are organised for boys and girls across public and private schools. The programme has expanded over time in the number of sports, school stages and participating students. Events are delivered during the school year and conclude with finals and award ceremonies.

Scale of participation: The 19th edition, concluded in May 2026, brought together approximately 25,000 students from public and private schools. Students competed across 21 sports: football, basketball, volleyball, gymnastics, swimming, padel, fencing, table tennis, athletics, wrestling, taekwondo, shooting, karate, judo, boccia, chess, cricket, weightlifting, esports, rowing and the Mini Basketball World Cup.

Inclusion: The Qatar Paralympic Committee is one of the organising partners, and para-sport is integrated into the programme structure. The inclusion of boccia and other adapted activities enables students with disabilities to participate within the national school-sport framework.

Development through partnerships: The programme works with national federations and major-event organisers to add educational and developmental content. In January 2025, the Schools Olympic Program Organising Committee signed a cooperation agreement with the Local Organising Committee of the FIBA Basketball World Cup Qatar 2027 to support FIBA’s “Basketball for Good” initiative in schools.

Educational role: The basketball partnership introduced educational and awareness programmes focused on health, participation, teamwork, discipline and leadership. This illustrates the programme’s wider function: competition is combined with learning, social development and preparation for an active lifestyle.

Long-term contribution: Over successive editions, the Schools Olympic Program has become a key national platform for grassroots sport. Its contribution is measured both through broad participation and through the identification of students who may progress to clubs, federations and national teams, including future cycles leading towards major events such as the Doha 2030 Asian Games.