Success of 2015 draw shows Qatar is ready for major sporting events

The successful draw for the group rounds of the 24th Men’s Handball World Championship in Doha last month demonstrates that Qatar is ready to host large-scale sporting events, according to international visitors who attended the event.

More than 300 people came to Qatar for the official draw, including representatives from the International Handball Federation and all 24 participating teams, along with a host of international media and travel companies.

They received a warm welcome, with a programme of cultural activities accompanying the Official Draw ceremony, including tours of Souq Waqif, Iftar meals at some of Doha’s finest hotels, and a coach tour of the planned venues for the Championship, which will take place from January 15 to February 1, 2015.

On the evening of the Official Draw, the Qatar 2015 24th Men’s Handball World Championship Organising Committee held a gala dinner, under the patronage of HE Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad al-Thani, President of the Organising Committee.

Other VIP guests in attendance included HE Ali Sherif al-Emadi, Minister of Finance; HE Salah bin Ghanem bin Nasser al-Ali, Minister of Youth And Sports; Badr Thiyab, vice-president, Asian Federation; Ahmed Abu Llayl, CEO, Asian Federation; Ahmed al-Shaabi, President, Qatar Handball Association; and Issa al-Muhannadi, Chairman, Qatar Tourism Authority.

Dr Thani Abdulrahman al-Kuwari, Director General, Qatar 2015 Men’s Handball World Championship Organising Committee, said: “We wanted to showcase our professionalism in hosting major events, and also enable visitors to get a feel for the range of cultural attractions and facilities that Qatar has to offer. Because our guests joined us for the Official Draw during the Holy Month of Ramadan, it gave them a real insight into Qatari traditions and culture, which added to the experience.”

Feedback from the attendees was extremely positive, with all praising the quality of the organisation and the warm hospitality that the visiting teams received.

Manuel Cadenas, coach of defending world champions Spain, said: “Spain won the title two years ago and we have to prove ourselves in Qatar as well. I believe the 24th Men’s Handball World Championship will be really special.”

Newcomers to the Championship also praised Qatar’s level of organisation and preparedness.

Dr Isa Ghnem al-Hajri, UAE Federation President, said: “This will be the UAE’s first participation at a World Championship and we feel very proud about that. Regarding the level of the organisation, I feel very proud of what I have seen, because I come from the same region and I hope Qatar will succeed not only in 2015 but also at the 2022 FIFA World Cup. We expect many people to come from the UAE to watch the World Championship. The facilities are fantastic and the weather will be great.”

Mirza Muzurovic, director of the Bosnian Handball Federation, added: “We don’t know yet what results we can reach in this group, but we know that we will give all we can to show that we are a deserving participant of this World Championship. We are proud to be at a tournament like this for the first time, in a beautiful place with such outstanding venues.”

Qatar witnessed intense preparations for the Official Draw, with every aspect of the visit planned down to the last detail.

Qatar 2015 worked with leading hotels to host visitors for the draw, including Ritz-Carlton and St. Regis to ensure that they experienced the luxury and refinement available in the country.

During their time in Qatar, the visitors were taken on a coach tour to see the progress of the four major venues that will host the Championship, and were extremely positive about the facilities that will be available.

Ismail Baker, Bahrain team manager, said: “From the first moment we arrived in Qatar, everything looked excellent. The Qataris have worked very hard and I am sure they will succeed. We had the chance to visit the venues and they are all excellent. The hotels are excellent as well, everything looks perfect. The Bahraini people will be extremely interested in seeing our national team play in Qatar.”

As well as the venue tour, Qatar 2015 also organised a media workshop to introduce local and international media to the team who will look after them during their time in Qatar, and explain some key issues.

The Official Draw was broadcast around the world on a number of leading sports channels, including beIN Sports, and was live-streamed on Qatar 2015’s own website atwww.qatarhandball2015.com.

Qatar again showed its expertise in staging international sports events, with a bespoke stage design that used a high-tech digital screen to broadcast the draw results, and customised seating to provide a perfect environment for visiting media.

Hosted by well-known Qatari presenter Khalid al-Jumaily, the draw ceremony also included a sound and light performance, and the “Victor Paint Show,” an artistic celebration   and the screening of a new film showcasing Qatar and its broad range of attractions for sports fans and general visitors.

The gala dinner included a series of cultural performances, including one from Miyoko Shida Rigolo, a Zen Japanese dancer, and children singing the much-loved “Garangao song”, and a guest appearance by Fahed, the mascot of the 2015 Championship, who distributed sweets and nuts to the guests.

QPost also supported the event, enabling visitors to send personalised postcards with their own stamp back home to celebrate the Official Draw, and there was a social media-driven booth where visitor could “Share their Ideas with the World.”

 Qatar 2015 will be the first World Championship to take place in one city, Doha, reducing travelling time for players and officials, and enabling sports fans to attend multiple games.

Positive Feedback from Visiting Sports Executives

Karel Nocar, Czech Republic team manager

“We are satisfied with the draw. France are the favourites in our group, but we have the chance to make it to the eighth-finals. We have to gather information on Algeria and Egypt, as it was in 2007 when we last played against these African teams.”

Jerzy Eliasz, Vice-President, Polish Federation

“We are in a very attractive and highly balanced group. We face a strong Asian team, the Pan-American champions and a really strong European trio. Maybe it is a historical sign that we face Germany again after we had beaten them in the World Championship play-offs. And it will be interesting to see how the Danish team develops under their new coach Gudmundur Gudmundsson. On paper, Denmark is the favourite, but we will see what our team can manage.”

Philippe Bana, Tech Director, French Federation

“I am expecting the best World Championship ever from a global level. The groups C, where we’ll play, and D are truly groups of death. We will have a re-match of the 2012 Olympic final with Sweden, so group D is composed of very strong teams. So no matter which team France will face, it will be a tough nut to crack.”

Valero Rivera, Qatar coach

“This will be the strongest World Championship ever with four highly competitive groups. So it was a really hard decision which group we should choose. It is our dream to proceed to the knockout stage, and I believe that in this group we have the best opportunity to make it.”

Bernhard Bauer, President, German Federation

“We are very humble and we are pleased to be here. Of course the match against Poland will be something really special after those World Championship play-offs. Also, we really look forward to the match with Denmark, as we will host the 2019 Men’s World Championship jointly with the Danes. Russia are always strong, but the German team wants to show the world that they deserve to be in Qatar.”

Sead Hasanefendic, Tunisian coach

“Our group is balanced, but of course Croatia are the big favourites. Though Bosnia are first-timers they are strong and the Macedonians have proven their abilities in the previous tournament. It is our first goal to promote handball in Tunisia, to excite our fans and to bring us back into the spotlight. And we will try everything to make it to the knockout stage.”

Gudmundur Gudmundsson, Denmark coach

“One really good team of this group will have to play in the President’s Cup and miss the eighth finals. Germany was the strongest we could get from pot 6 and Poland are the strongest from pot 2. And all European teams in this group need to be aware of Argentina, as they have really improved. So this draw was anything but luck for us.”

Staffan Olssson, Sweden coach

“A draw is always like a lottery. No matter which teams you have to face, they are strong opponents. They will be very hard matches, but in the end we will have to see.”

Borut Macek, Iran coach

“Our group is not that bad. It’s strong for sure, and tough for us since this is our first time at a World Championship. The only thing I cannot say I like is that we have three teams from former Yugoslavia: Croatia, Macedonia and Bosnia-Herzegovina. The latter eliminated Iceland, which means they have a very good team. Austria in the last two competitions achieved very good results and Tunisia are always one of the best teams in Africa. I believe this will be one of the best World Championships ever. I was the coach of Qatar before and I know all members of the federation. I know they have worked hard all these years and I wish them the best. I am sure this will be the No 1 World Championship in the history of handball.”

Slavko Goluza, Croatia coach

“We have been drawn in a very interesting group, with very good teams: Austria, Bosnia-Herzegovina, FYR Macedonia and Tunisia. Iran also has a very good team. Every time Croatia plays at a big event, our target is to reach the final and win the gold. Our first aim of course will be to finish first in our group. I believe this will be the second best World Championship ever, after the 2009 World Championship which was organised by Croatia (laughs)!”

Jordi Ribera, Brazil coach

“There are no easy groups of course, but I am very happy Brazil have been drawn in Group A. After staying here in Doha all these days and watching the level of the organisation, I believe this will be the best World Championship ever.”

Manuel Cadenas, Spain coach

“During the draw we were all sitting together, speaking about handball. Spain won the title two years ago and we have to prove ourselves in Qatar as well. I believe this Championship will be really special.”

Ismail Baker, Bahrain team manager

“From the first moment we arrived in Qatar everything looked excellent. We were unlucky to be drawn in Group D, which is the ‘Group of Death’ but we are happy that we will play against all these great teams because it will be a huge experience for us. We will try our best and I hope will have luck by our side. I think we will see great things by Qatar in terms of organisation and it will be difficult for the next hosts to present something better.”

Isa Ghnem al-Hajri, UAE Federation President

“This will be UAE’s first participation at a World Championship and we feel very proud about that. Regarding the level of organisation, I feel very proud of what I have seen, because I come from the same region and I hope Qatar will succeed not only in 2015 but also at the 2022 FIFA World Cup. If Qatar needs any help from UAE we will gladly offer it to them. We expect many people to come from UAE to watch the World Championship. The facilities are fantastic and the weather will be great.”