ANOC Beach Games Meetings for Chefs De Missions kick off in Doha

DOHA, July 10, 2019 – With attendance of HE Jassim bin Rashid Al Buenain, Secretary General of the Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC), the preparatory meetings of 2019 ANOC World Beach Games for Chef De Missions began at Ezdan Hotel Doha on Tuesday. ​The first edition of ANOC World Beach Games 2019 will take place in Qatar under the umbrella of ANOC where athletes will compete in 14 beach sports at world class - venues of Katara (Cultural Village Foundation) and Al Gharafa sport club.HE QOC Secretary General opened the meeting with a welcome speech to Chefs de Missions who represent more than 100 nations from all continents. "We are very grateful to welcome all participants in ANOC inaugural World Beach Games which will take place in Doha, a city that closely and historically linked to the sea a long time ago " he said. " On behalf of QOC, we appreciate the big confidence given to Qatar to host the Games" he added.“It is a great honor to be part of ANOC's history, everyone knows Qatar's rich history in hosting international sport events due to its large-scale administrative experience and human force" confirmed the QOC Secretary General.ANOC Secretary General Gunilla Lindberg appreciated Doha's initiative to host the first ANOC World Beach Games 2019.“It was impossible for any nation to host the Games in such a short period (three months) after USA's San Diego apologized, it had been a really challenge for us, but were really delighted to see Qatar's initiative to host ANOC 2019 World Beach Games, General Assembly meeting and Awards Ceremony from 17-18 October. " she said. “The state of Qatar hosted the ANOC General meetings in 2016 and now thanks to its perfect sport facilities and beautiful beaches, it can easily host more than 5000 guests including 1600 athletes representing 110 countries." She added. For his part, the ANOC Technical Director Haider Farman lauded the plans set by the state of Qatar to host the games and stressed that what has been accomplished during the last two weeks reflects its great experience in hosting the major sporting events. “The format of ANOC World Beach Games in its first edition will follow the ideas been used in the previous OCA Asian Beach Games" he said. It worth mentioning that ANOC announced that the state of Qatar will host the 2019 ANOC World Beach Games where HE the QOC President Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani signed the Host City Contract last June on the sidelines of the inauguration ceremony of the new IOC headquarters in Lausanne.The state of Qatar will participate in the games with 10 sports federations including; Qatar Football Association, Qatar Volleyball Association, Qatar Handball Association, Qatar Basketball Federation, Qatar Taekwondo, Judo and Karate Federation, Qatar Tennis, Squash and Badminton Federation, Qatar Wrestling Federation, Qatar Swimming Federation, Qatar Cycling and Triathlon Federation and Qatar Sailing and Rowing Federation.

Qatar's Juniors shine in Arab Athletics Championships

TUNISIA, July 9, 2019 – Qatar junior team concluded its campaign in the prestigious Arab Junior's Athletics Championships 2019 in Tunisia on high note on Monday.Al Adaam junior athletes confidently won two silver medals on Monday to raise the country's tally to seven medals. In the event's closing scene on Monday, Hamaza Al Sousi grabbed silver medal in Shot put and his teammate Omar Al Mageed ensured the second silver in the 400m hurdles.The prestigious event brought together 350 athletes from Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Morocco, Lebanon, Algeria, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Egypt, Yemen, Somalia, Djibouti, Libya and hosts Tunisia.​

Falah the Falcon flies into Qatar ahead of the IAAF World Athletics Championships

DOHA, July 8, 2019-Excitement for Qatar's biggest ever sporting event is soaring, as Falah the Falcon has flown in to meet fans ahead of the IAAF World Athletics Championships in Doha this September.Making his first appearance as the official mascot, Falah met with hundreds of children at Aspire Zone's Summer Camp, posing for photographs and cheering on children as they took part in the sports sessions. The camp has seen youngsters take up athletics in the build–up to the World Championships set to take place at the Khalifa International Stadium 27 September to 6 October.Falah's job sees him unite communities ahead of the competition which comes to the Middle East for the first time. He will welcome athletes from 213 different countries, as they compete for gold medals in an action-packed schedule which will see 128 events take place over 10 days. The superhero mascot also looks to educate children on the values of being an athlete in Team Qatar including being competitive, courageous, fun, helpful and loyal.Flying through the country over the next three months, Falah will meet sports enthusiasts and families across a number of venues including sporting camps, malls and coffee shops, spreading the message of athletics and Qatari values across all of Qatar's citizens.Sheikha Asma Al Thani, Director of Marketing and Communications for the Local Organising Committee, commented: “Falah is the perfect face of the IAAF World Athletics Championships Doha 2019, honouring the traditional falcon while bringing a modern, superhero look to the competition which will see the best athletes in the world bring their superhero powers to Doha.“Sport is about bringing people together and we feel Falah encompasses this ethos, adding fun to the competition while being popular with fans of all ages. He will be visiting locations across Doha, and I encourage everyone to share their photos on social media to help generate more excitement ahead of what will be a truly memorable sporting event for everyone in Qatar."On Falah's visit to the camp, Al Anoud Almisnad, Acting Head of Events Section at Aspire Zone, commented: “It was a great opportunity and a nice gesture from the Local Organising Committee of the IAAFDoha2019 to have Falah here today. His visit was important to contribute to educating the children more about the event and encourage them to attend the competitions, support our athletes and enjoy the atmosphere of the Championships which will be held for the very first time in Doha and the Middle East," She added: “We are very proud that Falah has started his tour from our Aspire Dome which saw excitement and energy from the participating children."Students have enjoyed different activities with Falah who showed some of his signature moves, posing in front of the cameras and waving to children.Rashid Al Muhannadi, six years old, loved his experience at Aspire, commenting: “No words can describe how happy I was that I joined Falah the Falcon to learn athletics. Falah taught us about the IAAF World Athletics Championships Doha 2019 and we are happy that it will be hosted in our capital, Doha."Another student, five-year-old Mohammaed Al Nuaimi, said: “I was very happy that I met Falah and that he joined us in our Athletics activities. He encouraged us to exercise every day. He also gave us gifts and invited us to go and watch the IAAF World Athletics Championships 2019 which will be very exciting."Fans can keep track of Falah's appearances throughout Doha by checking out the latest images using #FollowFalah on social media channels @IAAFDoha2019. News of Falah's upcoming appearances will be also be available via the official social media channels.Falah will be at the Khalifa International Stadium for the ten-day competition, meeting fans in the World Athletics Village at Khalifa International Stadium, as well as inside the venue. Fans can purchase tickets for the competition from just 60QAR, with the easy online process found via https://iaafworldathleticschamps.com/doha2019/​

ANOC World Beach Games Qatar 2019 Technical Delegate meeting concludes in Doha

DOHA, July 07, 2019-The International Federation (IF) Technical Delegate (TD) meeting for the ANOC World Beach Games Qatar 2019 concluded in Doha yesterday after two-days of productive meetings in which the TDs were updated on the latest preparations and provided feedback on where improvements can be made.TDs from each of the IFs participating in the Games were in attendance as the Qatar 2019 Organising Committee continues to make rapid progress since ANOC confirmed Qatar as host of the inaugural Games just over three weeks ago. The recently-established Organising Committee comprises members from both ANOC and the QOC and multi-sport Games experts.On the first day of the meeting, delegates were welcomed by the Organising Committee and provided with an overview of the Games and an outline of Qatar's extensive sports-hosting experience. A presentation on the proposed location and format of each of the sports was delivered with a view to gathering feedback from the TDs. The Organising Committee covered a number of operational areas including venue services, timing and scoring, accommodation, medical, anti-doping, transport, ticketing and security. The new Qatar 2019 logo was also shown. In the afternoon, there was a tour of the proposed sites for the ANOC World Beach Games Qatar 2019 with Katara Beach proposed as the main competition cluster. The delegates also visited the Gharafa Sports Complex which is being considered to host the remaining sports at existing venues.On the second day, break-out workshops were held, with the TDs meeting their National Federations and Competition Managers. During the workshops, delegates discussed a number of key topics including sports equipment, field of play requirements, sport session schedules, training session formats and medical and recovery requirements. The workshops were designed to ensure that any immediate actions that are required are identified and prioritised.ANOC Secretary General Gunilla Lindberg said:, It has been critically important to meet with the IF Technical Delegates here to get their expert feedback on how we can hone and refine our plans. Of course, no one knows their sport better than they do and so it has been very valuable to hear where and how we can improve. It has been very encouraging to hear the Technical Delegates speak so positively about the work that has been done and the strength of the team we have here in Doha. We have complete confidence in the Organising Committee's experience and expertise to deliver the first ever ANOC World Beach Games to the highest standards."The Qatar 2019 Organising Committee and ANOC will host the Chef de Mission seminar on 8-11 July with more than 100 NOCs scheduled to attend.

QOC forms Higher Organizing Committee of ANOC World Beach Games 2019

DOHA, July 06, 2019- HE Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani, President of the Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) issued a decree forming the Higher Organizing Committee of ANOC World Beach Games, Qatar 2019 to be held in Doha from October 12-16.The Higher Organizing Committee which includes 20 members is chaired by HE Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani. The Committee includes HE Mr. Jassim Rahsid Al Buenain as Deputy Chairman of Higher Organizing Committee in addition to Dr. Khalid Ibrahim Al Sulaiti, representative of the Ministry of Interior and Ms. Gunilla Lindberg as members of Higher Organizing Committee.The QOC also formed the games' local organizing committee including the General Manager HE Mr. Jassim Rashid Al Buenain, Assistant General Manager For Supporting Services Mr. Ali Ghanim Al Kuwari, Assistant General Manager for Operations Mr. Khaleel Ibrahim Al Jabir, Deputy Assistant General Manager for Supporting Services Khalid Al Yafei, Deputy Assistant General Manager For Operations Ishaq Al Hashimi, Head of Facilities, Information Technology and Communications Committee Mr. Salah Al Saadi, Head of Security Committee, Head of Media and Broadcasting Committee Mr. Yousef Abdullah Al Mullah, Head of Medical Committee, Head of Anti-Doping Committee Dr. Nasser Ali Al Ansari, Head of Marketing, Communication and Opening Ceremony Committee Sheikha Asma Al Thani, Head of Administrative Affairs and Manpower Committee Mr. Mohamed Abdullah Al Meer, Head of Games Services Committee Ms. Eman Ali Al Emadi, Head of Protocol and International Public Relations Committee Mr. Hamad Ali Al Ibrahim, and Head of Financial Affairs and Procurement Committee Mr. Nasser Hamad Al Sulaiti.The Games will feature 14 sports with athletes from up to 90 nations ultimately expected to compete.Qatar will also host the ANOC General Assembly and ANOC Awards, which will now take place immediately after the Games on (17-18 October).The NOCs' delegates attending the ANOC General Assembly will be invited to arrive in Qatar at the start of the Games so that all NOCs will be able to enjoy the inaugural event.

Qatar U-23 Volleyball Team edge closer to Asian Cup

Manama, July 04, 2019 - Qatar's U-23 volleyball team edged closer on Wednesday to reaching the Asian Cup that is set to take place in Myanmar this August, after beating Kuwait 3-1 in a qualifier in Bahraini capital Manama.The win was the third for Qatar to collect a total of nine points so far. The match ended 25-22, 17-25, 25-23, 25-19.Qatar played four matches so far in the qualifiers. They recorded three victories over Palestine, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait and suffered only one defeat against Iraq.The Qatari team will conclude their qualifiers with the match against Bahrain on Thursday. The top three teams of the group will qualify to the Asian Cup.