The largest Olympics exhibition of its kind “ The Olympics – Past and Present” organised by Qatar Museums Authority and Qatar Olympics and  Sports Museum was opened at Al Riwaq Doha exhibition space yesterday. The exhibition will run from March 28 to June 30.
Andrew P Swiger, senior vice-president of ExxonMobil Corporation, the official partner of the exhibition,  said  that Qatar had been recognised as a global hub for athletic competition.  He also expressed his appreciation for Qatar Museums Authority and the Qatar Olympic and Sports Museum for organising a world-class exhibition in partnership with ExxonMobil Qatar.
He said: “It is our shared hope that this Olympics exhibition will build an appreciation for Olympic history and ideals for visitors to this impressive space.” The exhibition shows both ancient and modern Olympic games and tells the history of the Olympics in ancient Greece and their re-establishment in modern times.
Swiger also commented: “From the 2006 Asian Games and the 2011 Pan Arab Games, to the 2011 AFC Asian Cup and the FIFA World Cup in 2022, Qatar has advanced to the front rank of international hosts for sport and competition, It is fitting that the history, lore, and 1,200 artifacts of the Olympic Games – both ancient and modern – should be on display here in Doha.”
He also stated: “When the games were reborn in Athens in 1896, many took that rebirth as a sign that humanity was once again ready to at least imagine a peaceful form of rivalry. Despite the wars and turmoil of the 20th century, the games survived and thrived – keeping that ideal of peaceful competition burning as bright as the Olympic torch.”
Swiger said that it was a time in which people from around the world, within the framework of free trade, were creating partnerships to develop the goods, services, and energy a growing world needs.
He added: “The many artifacts and objects of this exhibit take us on a journey through 2,700 years of Olympic history, highlighting how the Olympic ideal continues to challenge us to imagine a world of peaceful competition, spurring ever higher levels of human achievement and excellence.”