Qatar Petrochemical Company (Qapco) and its sister company Qatofin celebrated the third edition of National Sport Day yesterday by making history and bringing a new Guinness World Record to Qatar.
Under the patronage of HE the Minister of Energy and Industry Dr Mohamed bin Saleh al-Sada, who is also the Qatar Petroleum chairman and managing director, Qapco and Qatofin employees and their families set the new Guinness World Record for the most consecutive number of football passes - 596 - at the Qapco Club in Mesaieed.
The previous record of 557 consecutive passes was set in
Hong Kong nearly 12 years ago.
Qapco and Qatofin employees and their families set the new record in three-and-a-half hours in front of thousands of enthusiastic supporters and judges of the Guinness World Records institution. As many as 596 participants, aged 10 to 60 years, made 596 consecutive football passes to create the new record. To be valid, each pass had to reach the 10m mark, which highlighted the challenge of this one-of-a-kind event.
Earlier in the day, employees and their families gathered on the FIFA Grade 2 football field of the Qapco Club. Following general football rules and the strict requirements of the Guinness World Records, the participants passed the ball to each other and made their way into the record books.
Dr Mohamed Yousef al-Mulla, vice-chairman and CEO of Qapco and Qatofin, said: “Making 596 consecutive passes is an exceptional athletic achievement. At Qapco and Qatofin, by mixing sports and fun, we are extremely proud to make history and thrilled to bring another world record to Qatar. This outstanding performance united Qapco and Qatofin employees and their families and demonstrated the power of team spirit and our never-ending motivation. Together, we can achieve the impossible. This is a day to remember.”
This is the second time that Qapco and Qatofin have broken a world record together. In 2011, the two companies together set their first Guinness Record with the world’s largest football shirt.
During the entire world record attempt to break the record for most consecutive football passes, Qapco and Qatofin employees displayed great enthusiasm and cheered the participants all along.
In addition to the Guinness World Record achievement, employees from Qapco and Qatofin and their families participated in a fun-filled programme and an array of sports competitions.
The day brought together more than 4,000 participants and reflected the diversity of Qapco as employees from 43 nationalities took part in the sporting competitions.
This year, Qapco and Qatofin laid particular emphasis on children. Through the activities offered, the aim was to encourage them to embrace healthy lifestyles and practise sports every day.