The success of the opening days of IHF Super Globe Championship 2014 – and the warm welcome provided by Qatar to teams, players and fans – were all celebrated in a special gala evening on Wednesday night, where guests of the handball community were treated to Arabic traditions and Qatari culture and hospitality.
Esteemed guests at the celebratory dinner included International Handball Federation president Dr Hassan Moustafa, IHF Commission of Organising and Competition chairman Leon Kalin, Qatar 2015 Organising Committee assistant director general and Super Globe director Mohamed Jabor al-Mulla and Qatar Handball Association council member Hamad al-Nuaimi.
“This has been an extraordinary week, both for the standard of the competition and for the high levels of organisational excellence. This week has shown that Qatar is ready and able to host a world-class Championship and to welcome sports fans from around the world,” al-Mulla said.
Guests at the gala dinner were greeted with a warm welcome and invited to tour a traditional Arab ‘village’ that showcased a wide range of traditional arts and crafts. In the evening, there were a series of special performances that entertained the guests such as “Ardah”, Qatar’s traditional dance performed with swords as some of the guests joined the performance.
The IHF Super Globe Championship 2014 has welcomed scores of visitors at the official competition venue, the Qatar Handball Association Complex. It has so far hosted three consecutive days of live sporting action from the championship game that is currently underway and crowds have been treated to four matches a day between local and international teams as part of the preliminary rounds of the tournament.
With the IHG Super Globe event, the first test event for the 24th Men’s Handball World Championship, reaching the final stages, leading figures from international handball have congratulated the Organising Committee for the five star facilities and for delivering the Qatar Handball Association Complex in record time.
Eight club teams from five continents have played in the game, with crowds at the opening matches enjoying the atmosphere and strong competition.
The finals of the IHF Super Globe Championship 2014 will be held today, and will be followed by an award ceremony that will felicitate the tournament champions and teams that secure the second and third position in the tournament.
For visiting fans and sports enthusiasts in Qatar, the event is a fascinating appetiser for the 2015 Men’s Handball World Championship, set to take place in Qatar from January 15, 2015, onwards.
