By Sports Reporter/Doha
Ahmad al-Shaabi, Qatar 2015 Organising Committee vice president and Qatar Handball Association (QHA) president, has expressed his satisfaction on the success of the Handball World Championship so far, and the performance of the Qatar national side in the competition.
Speaking to media at Lusail Multipurpose Hall, he said that one week into the event, the 24th Men’s Handball World Championship has exceeded the expectations of the International Handball Federation, and set a benchmark for future sporting events in Qatar.
“All credit for the success of this event goes to HE Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad al-Thani, Qatar 2015 Organizing Committee president, as he led the organisation with distinction throughout the preparations and has now delivered an incredible event for Qatar and the sport of handball,” said al-Shaabi. “Before the contest, we said that our goal was to progress through the Preliminary Rounds and we have done that. Now, we want to finish higher than we have ever done before in the Championships. We have a very dedicated team that is willing to do the impossible in order to win, and we believe they can go all the way,” he said.
The key element for al-Shaabi – the ingredient that will propel the team to achieve the best possible results – is the support of home fans turning up to cheer their handball heroes on. He urged people in Qatar to attend the upcoming matches this week and raise the roof in order to encourage the players.
“Everyone can feel very proud of the performances in this year’s Championship. Every team has fought hard in every game and the support of some of the fans has been incredible. We have three teams from the Arab world who have qualified for the next round, and we hope this will encourage young people across the region to get involved with handball.”
Ahmad al-Shaabi
