During the FIFA Women's World Cup 2023 quarter-finals week, a special Generation Amazing Foundation (GA) delegation of 10 young female leaders from Qatar concluded their successful journey and participation, alongside peers from across the globe, in Festival23, a Football for Good festival held from August 6 to 13, in Sydney, Australia.
The delegation comprised of GA Youth Ambassadors and sponsored in partnership with Qatar Foundation (QF), Qatar Football Association, and the Delegation of the European Union (EU) to Qatar. GA is the social legacy initiative of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, and a football for development organisation delivering programmes in alignment with the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals.
Festival23, focused on football as a force for positive change, was hosted by Common Goal, Football United, and Creating Chances. It gathered over 70 local and global young women delegates from over 40 countries.
Reflecting on her Festival23 experience, Nour Loubani, GA Youth Advocate, said, “I’m honoured to have had the opportunity to learn from other delegates at Festival23. They were curious to hear my perspective of the impact the World Cup had on Qatar, and I was able to share various positive outcomes of the tournament, such as empowering women in sports and dedicating a World Cup stadium to be a venue that hosts various activities for women of the community.”
As one of the esteemed "Global Icons" of Festival23, alongside prestigious partners like UEFA Foundation, Adidas, FIFA, Rexona, and the Australian government, Generation Amazing Foundation is committed to driving sustainable impact in communities through sport and empowering the next generation of female leaders.
Commenting on the partnership, Nasser al-Khori, GA executive director, said: "Through this event, we continue to progress the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and build upon the legacy of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.."
Festival23 also included a special all-women's expert panel discussion, “Passing the Baton – Women’s Sports Development as a Legacy of the FIFA World Cup Qatar.”
Co-organised by GA and QF in collaboration with The Delegation of the EU to Qatar, the panel brought together Fajer al-Boainin, GA youth advocate; Wadha al-Saoud, recreation supervisor at QF’s Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU) and a member of QF’s advisory group for the strategic development of women’s sports in Qatar; Kate Anthonisz, board member at Women Onside; and was moderated by Hala Khalaf, adviser to Women Win & Skateistan.
