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30 Mar’ 2018
Qatar's Taleb Al Marri to officiate at FIFA World Cup
DOHA, March 30, 2018- Qatar's Taleb Al Marri will make his debut appearance at this summer's FIFA World Cup in Russia taking up his position as an assistant referee in the 32-team tournament.
World governing body FIFA today released the final list of referees and assistant referees who will be seen in action at the Jun 14-Jul 15, 2018 event.
Al Marri will join nine other assistant referees representing the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).
"I am proud to be the first referee to represent Qatar in a World Cup," Al Marri said yesterday.
Iran, Uzbekistan and Saudi Arabia each will have two representatives in the list of 10 assistant referees. Other AFC assistant referees are from the Bahrain, the UAE and Japan.
Al Marri featured as an assistant referee in the matches of the 2016 FIFA World Club Cup held in Osaka in December that year.
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Al Kuwari Confirms Qatar Has the Confidence and Capabilities to Deliver Exceptional 2036 Olympic Games
Aichi-Nagoya - Fatima Sultan Al Kuwari, CEO of Qatar’s bid to host the 2036 Olympic and Paralympic Games, has expressed strong confidence in Doha’s bid journey and the country’s ability to deliver an exceptional edition of the Games.Speaking during a dialogue session held yesterday with representatives of the Qatari media covering the 20th Asian Games – Aichi-Nagoya 2026 at Bayt Qatar in Japan, Al Kuwari said Doha had embarked on its bid journey with confidence and national ambitions that reflect Qatar’s established position on the global sporting map.She said the bid is underpinned by Qatar’s proven track record in hosting major events, advanced infrastructure, world-class sporting venues and national expertise accumulated over many years of staging major international championships.Al Kuwari stressed that Doha’s bid to host the world’s biggest sporting event is not simply an attempt to add another major competition to Qatar’s hosting portfolio. Rather, it reflects an integrated vision to deliver a distinctive Olympic and Paralympic experience that creates a sustainable legacy for Qatar, the region and the international Olympic Movement.She noted that Qatar has established a prominent position in global sport over recent decades by hosting a wide range of continental and international championships across different sports, consistently delivering events to high organisational standards.Al Kuwari added that the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 represented a historic milestone, demonstrating the country’s ability to stage one of the world’s largest and most complex sporting events while welcoming millions of fans, athletes, media representatives and official delegations and providing them with an integrated experience both inside and outside the stadiums.Al Kuwari said Qatar’s ambition to host the 2036 Olympic and Paralympic Games reflects the country’s belief in the importance of sport and its role in building communities and bringing people together.She stressed that Doha views the Games as much more than a sporting competition, recognising their wider human, cultural, social and economic dimensions.She said the Olympic Games represent the highest level of global sporting competition and bring together thousands of athletes from different countries and cultures. Hosting the Games would therefore provide a historic opportunity to present Qatar and the Arab region to the world and introduce international audiences to the values, culture and identity of the region.Al Kuwari noted that Qatar is approaching the bid process with complete seriousness and recognises that the journey ahead is a long one requiring extensive work, planning and coordination. At the same time, she expressed confidence in the country’s national capabilities, accumulated expertise and ability to put forward a strong bid.“We believe in Qatar’s ability to deliver an exceptional experience. Our goal is to represent our country with pride and present a bid that reflects the position Qatari sport has reached and the significant development the country has achieved across different fields,” she said.Al Kuwari described the success of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 as one of the important foundations on which the 2036 bid is being built, with the tournament demonstrating Qatar’s ability to manage major events and deliver the highest organisational, security, operational and service standards.She said the World Cup was not only a sporting success but also delivered an integrated fan and cultural experience, leaving a positive impression on millions of visitors who had the opportunity to discover Qatar, its culture, values and hospitality first-hand.The impact of the tournament remains evident today, she added, from the country’s venues and infrastructure to the human, administrative and organisational expertise developed through hosting the event, as well as the positive international perception of Qatar’s ability to stage the world’s biggest events.Al Kuwari said the experience adds significant strength to Doha’s bid, while emphasising that Qatar continues to develop its sporting ecosystem and use every event it hosts as an opportunity to gain further expertise and enhance its readiness for the future.The CEO of Qatar’s bid for the 2036 Olympic and Paralympic Games said Doha’s ambition extends beyond securing hosting rights, with Qatar seeking to make a meaningful contribution to the international Olympic Movement.She said staging the Games in Qatar would provide an opportunity to extend the Olympic presence into a new region, noting that the Middle East has never hosted the Olympic Games despite its rich history, diverse cultures and strong passion for sport.Al Kuwari said hosting the Games in Doha would represent a milestone for both Qatar and the wider region, giving millions of people across the Middle East an opportunity to experience the Olympic Games first-hand, helping broaden participation in different sports and encouraging new generations to become involved.She added that the region has much to offer the Olympic Movement through its culture, history and geographical position, as well as its ability to bring people together. Qatar, she said, can serve as a bridge between East and West and as a platform for promoting theAl Kuwari highlighted Qatar’s existing sporting infrastructure as one of the bid’s major strengths, with the country already home to numerous stadiums, arenas and sporting complexes that meet international standards and have staged major continental and global competitions.She explained that the availability of existing venues significantly reduces the need to construct new permanent facilities, in line with the International Olympic Committee’s focus on sustainability and maximising the use of existing infrastructure rather than developing large venues without a clear long-term purpose after the Games.Qatar also has extensive experience in operating and managing sporting venues, she said, supported by modern infrastructure encompassing roads, public transport, hotels, medical facilities, services and technology.These elements provide Doha’s bid with a strong foundation and would help deliver a comfortable and safe experience for athletes, spectators, delegations and media, while allowing easy access to competition and training venues.Al Kuwari said Qatar’s compact geography represents an important advantage, allowing athletes and spectators to travel between venues and competition sites in relatively short periods without lengthy journeys between distant cities.She explained that shorter travel times directly benefit athletes, reducing the time spent travelling between accommodation, competition venues and training facilities and allowing more time for rest, recovery and physical and technical preparation.Spectators would also benefit from the compact concept, with the potential to attend more than one event on the same day and move easily between venues and event areas, contributing to an integrated and distinctive Olympic experience.She pointed to the successful model delivered during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, when supporters were able to attend more than one match in a single day, something that had not been as easily achievable at many previous editions of the tournament.Al Kuwari stressed that sustainability is a central pillar of Qatar’s vision for hosting the Olympic and Paralympic Games, with planning extending beyond the competition period to consider how venues and projects would be used after the Games.She said Qatar has a strong record of repurposing facilities developed for sporting events to serve the wider community, pointing to the legacy of the Doha 2006 Asian Games, after which a number of venues and facilities were put to new uses.
Qatar Olympic Committee Hosts Official Reception at Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games
Nagoya, Japan: The Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) hosted its official reception at the 20th Asian Games - Aichi-Nagoya 2026 on Monday, bringing together around 100 guests from across the Asian Olympic movement for an evening celebrating sport, culture, hospitality and Qatar’s journey towards hosting the Asian Games in Doha in 2030.Held at the Qatar delegation headquarters at the TIAD Hotel in Nagoya, the event brought together representatives from National Olympic Committees, sporting organisations and delegations participating in the Games, providing an opportunity to strengthen connections across the Asian sporting community.The reception was held under the patronage of H.E. Sheikha Hind bint Hamad Al Thani, Member of Board Of Directors of the QOC and with the attendance of H.E. Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani, President of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA). In her remarks, H.E. Sheikha Hind reflected on Qatar’s experience as a host and the shared values of hospitality and connection that bring communities together through sport.A short film was also screened during the evening, highlighting the journey from Doha 2006 through Aichi-Nagoya 2026 and towards Doha 2030, placing athletes, spectators and the wider sporting community at the heart of Qatar’s hosting story.The dinner showcased Qatari culture and hospitality through a menu created by prominent Qatari chef, restaurateur and cultural ambassador Noof Al Marri. The menu offered guests an authentic expression of Qatari cuisine, highlighting the country’s culinary heritage and contemporary gastronomic excellence.Adding to the evening’s cultural programme, guests were treated to a live Oud performance, bringing another element of Qatari musical heritage to the reception.Before the dinner, guests were welcomed at Bayt Qatar, the House of Qatar in Nagoya, where they experienced a selection of its interactive cultural and digital activations and explored Qatar’s sporting journey from the Doha 2006 Asian Games towards Doha 2030.
OCA President Discusses Further Cooperation with Senior Olympic Officials
Nagoya (Japan), (QNA) - HE President of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al-Thani held a series of meetings Tuesday with senior Olympic officials, focusing on international cooperation and the development of the Olympic movement.His Excellency met separately in Nagoya, Japan, with Member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Ser Miang Ng, President of the Caribbean Association of National Olympic Committees (CANOC) Keith Joseph, and President of the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA) Mustapha Berraf, on the sidelines of the 20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026.
Qatar Begin Gold-Medal Defence in Style with Victories over Philippines and South Korea
Aichi-Nagoya - Qatar beach volleyball team made a strong start to their Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games campaign, with Qatar 1 and Qatar 2 both recording convincing victories. The two wins reflected the readiness of the Qatari pairs and their determination to challenge for the leading positions and maintain Qatar’s strong record in beach volleyball at the continental level.Qatar 1, represented by Ahmed Tijan and Cherif Younousse, claimed a comfortable 2-0 victory over the Philippines in Group A, which also includes Oman. The Qatari pair dominated the opening set 21-7 before maintaining their superiority to take the second 21-10 and wrap up the match in straight sets.Tijan and Younousse produced a strong performance from the outset and controlled the match through their excellent understanding and high level of concentration in reception, attack and defence.