Qatar 2015 Organising Committee president HE Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad al-Thani and Organising Committee director general Dr Thani Abdulrahman al-Kuwari at the Qatar National Day celebrations hosted by Qatar 2015 Organising Committee for ambassadors from participating nations, employees and volunteers at Losail Multipurpose Hall.
By Sports Reporter/Doha
The Qatar 2015 Organising Committee, ambassadors from participating nations, employees and volunteers gathered together to celebrate Qatar National Day, as they look forward to making the nation proud with the major international sports event next year.
A traditional celebration was organised at the newly-opened Losail Multipurpose Hall. The Organising Committee marked the milestone of reaching the last 30 days before the 24th Men’s Handball World Championship begins.
Thousands of sports fans and national teams will travel to Doha for the 24th Men’s Handball World Championship, which begins on January 15, 2015, and is taking place in Qatar for the first time.
Qatar 2015 Organising Committee president HE Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad al-Thani met with the ambassadors of the countries that are taking part and assured them that visitors will enjoy a warm welcome and a great spectator experience at the matches.
Speaking at the event, Sheikh Joaan said: “The success of this major international sporting event will require unity between the different sponsors and global co-ordination. We thank the ambassadors for their efforts to mobilise their communities to support the 24th Men’s Handball World Championship. We look forward to hosting the best edition of this event in history with their collaboration.”
He added: “We have gathered to celebrate Qatar National Day, a glorious occasion on which we convey our deepest expressions of affection and gratitude towards Qatar. This country has been built on a strong foundation and we are proud to be able to contribute to its success and to the Qatar National Vision 2030. We recognise the importance of major contests like the Championship in promoting sporting spirit and building a legacy of excellence we can leave for the next generation.”
Organising Committee director general Dr Thani Abdulrahman al-Kuwari said: “With 30 days to go before the opening stages of the Championship, we are confident that we are well-placed to fulfil our duties as host nation. Since this journey began, we have built three competition venues, each to the highest standards required by the sport. We have successfully hosted two international test events that have received great feedback from visiting teams. Our workforce and volunteers have shown they are ready to meet the challenge. Working together, we will achieve greatness for Qatar through this event.”
Losail Multipurpose Hall is one of Qatar’s biggest handball competition venues that can accommodate up to 15,300 spectators. The original plans have been updated to offer more comfort for spectators with spacious seating arrangements.
The stadium has one main and two training halls that comply with standards set by the International Handball Federation (IHF) and can be used for volleyball and basketball tournaments in addition to handball.
The 24th Men’s Handball World Championship will be the first event of its kind to be hosted in a single city and the first to be held in the GCC.
Tickets are now available, so everyone can be a part of the action that begins with the Opening Ceremony and match between Qatar and Brazil. The event will conclude on February 1, 2015.
