QMMF leader in motorcycle sport in region, says president

Qatar Motor and Motorcycling Federation (QMMF) President Abdulrahman al-Mannai has praised his federation for being the leader for motorcycle sport in the Middle East.
Since its inception 30 years ago, QMMF has been a trendsetter for two-wheeler events in the Middle East. The Losail International Circuit is the only track in the region to host MotoGP, while it also conducts the World Superbike Championship every year.
Last week, during the 2017 FIM World Champions gala in Spain, FIM chief Vito Ippolito presented a memento to al-Mannai to mark QMMF’s 30 years of contribution to develop motorsport in Qatar. The 62-year-old Ippolito had commended Qatar’s initiatives to promote the sport in the country.
Speaking on the sidelines of the World Touring Car Championship at Losail yesterday, al-Mannai said: “Qatar has been ahead of everyone in the region when it comes to promoting motorcycle races. Losail is the first motorcycle circuit in the region and we also held the first MotoGP race in Middle East. Then we have Superbikes too. I think from the beginning, when the circuit was built, it was suited for motorcycle races. Because of that, there is right environment for the sport and that has helped a lot in creating the culture.”
The QMMF president, who discussed ways and means to develop the sport in the future with Ippolito, also met with presidents of other national federations. “We met the President of FIA and we also met presidents from other federations, from Turkey, Germany and Portugal. We had very productive meetings with all of them. We also got an award for 30th anniversary since the establishment of QMMF. It was a really nice way to end the trip,” he said.
This year’s Qatar Touring Car Championship, the opening round of which was held last night along with WTCC, has attracted young drivers. And al-Mannai was quite pleased about that.
Apart from the drivers that took part in the first season, new ones – Nasser al-Kuwari, Mohamed al-Buainan and Ibrahim al-Abdulghani – all impressed in their first outing, making QTCC a competitive series.
“I think basically the strategy of getting in new young drivers is working,” said al-Mannai. “The decision to involve the drivers in making rules and regulations with QMMF last year was a right one. We now see more people being involved.
“Nasser (al-Kuwari) is the navigator and he has never raced before, but he is now racing in QTCC. We are seeing new drivers like Abdulghani giving a good competition to other drivers.
“So we are going to continue the same format and hopefully we will be able to attract Qatari nationals to the circuit and make them get away from street racing. Hopefully they can do something more professional. They can enjoy themselves at Losail as it is a fantastic circuit, they can have fun while staying safe,” he added.
Al-Mannai was also gushing in his praise of navigator Nasser al-Kuwari for winning the FIA Middle East Rally Championship 2 title.
“We are very proud of him. Nasser has proved Qatar does not only have good drivers but also good navigators. He won this award for his skills, his professionalism and we are very proud of him,” he said.
“It takes a lot of years to become successful but there has to be desire and commitment also. These are the traits of any professional. And Nasser is an example of that. We hope he continues in this line and we are happy to support him any way we can. Additionally he is now part of the QTCC and he is giving the other drivers a hard time. He is fast and we are expecting to see a very competitive season,” al-Mannai added.