Doha

A group of 12 talented young people had the chance to meet sporting hero and Ooredoo brand ambassador Leo Messi in Barcelona, Spain, this week, as Ooredoo’s “Simply Do Wonders” competition concluded.
The young sports fans won the competition after uploading videos of themselves displaying their football skills to the dedicated website, Simplydowonders.com. They were flown from countries across Ooredoo’s footprint on an all-expenses-paid trip to meet Messi at training facilities in Barcelona.
While visiting Barcelona, the children also could see Messi playing football during an official match.
The winners came from Tunisia, the Maldives, Qatar, Indonesia, Algeria, Kuwait and Palestine. Two children from Gaza were also offered the privilege.
“This talented group of young people is an inspiration. Despite the challenges many of them face, they are passionate about football and the opportunities the sport can provide. The reason I began the Leo Messi Foundation and teamed up with Ooredoo was to let children know that if they work hard, they really can do wonders. Ooredoo’s support for this contest and their ongoing work to promote sport and healthy lifestyles is a great example of the difference companies can make,” said Messi.
“This competition has brought football fans from around the world together and showcased the skills and aspirations of young people. Working with Leo Messi has enabled us to reach a whole new audience, and we hope that together we can keep them engaged and supported through our initiatives for young people,” said Dr Nasser Marafih, Group CEO of Ooredoo.
“Simply Do Wonders” was Ooredoo’s first ever global communication campaign with Messi and involved commercials released through various media. More than 11mn people viewed the advertisement online, making it the most-seen video ever from an Arab brand on YouTube, according to a statement.
The company continues to work with the Leo Messi Foundation on its ongoing mobile health clinic programme, which provides healthcare services to remote areas in Indonesia, Myanmar, Algeria and Tunisia.
In Indonesia, 16 mobile health clinics have provided free healthcare services to more than 600,000 people.