Qatar’s Youth and Sports Minister HE Salah bin Ghanem bin Nasser al-Ali (fourth from right) with representatives of GCC National Olympic Committees yesterday.
By Sports Reporter/Doha
The Middle East is dedicated to empowering the youth of the region through sports activities. That was the main theme of the four-day long meeting of the representatives of GCC National Olympic Committees (NOCs) yesterday.
Qatar’s Youth and Sports Minister HE Salah bin Ghanem bin Nasser al-Ali attended the final day’s proceedings which also saw the attendance of deputy ministers of the five GCC nations Abdulrahman al-Matieri (Kuwait), Suleiman al-Misnad (Saudi Arabia), Khaled Issa (the UAE), Hisham bin Mohamad (Bahrain) and Rashad bin Ahmed (Oman).
Representative of the Qatar’s Youth and Sports Ministry, Abdulrahman al-Dosari said the GCC officials overwhelmingly supported Qatar hosting the 2022 FIFA World Cup. “We discussed what was initially agreed in the previous meeting. We also agreed to work on the plans we talked about at length previously,” al-Dosari said after the final session of the meeting.
“Basically during our closing remarks we talked about programmes that would help empower the youth of the region through sports,” he said.
“The region believes in the changes that can be brought about through sports activities. We believe in our youngsters,” he said.
“The GCC officials have given a rally call on the 2022 FIFA World Cup to be held in Qatar. The GCC countries fully support the event taking place in Qatar,” al-Dosari said.
“The GCC officials feel that a World Cup in Qatar actually promotes the region. It is not just our World Cup. It is a World Cup that belongs to the entire region,” al-Dosari said.
Qatar will become the first country in the Middle East to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup. “Like HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani said 2022 FIFA World Cup is for the entire region. The Sports Minister HE Salah bin Ghanem bin Nasser al-Ali also endorsed the same view point,” al-Dosari said.
“We would like our youth to be part of the 2022 FIFA World Cup and contribute in a major way. The youth will take the football movement forward when they become part of the sports industry in the country,” he said.
“We made a presentation on the activities of Josoor Institute. Sports management is serious business and we showed our list of programme to our guests.
“As you know Saudi Arabia will host this very meeting next year in February. We have not decided on the dates but probably in February or March,” al-Dosari said.
On Sunday, HE Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrehman al-Thani, Secretary General of the Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC), welcomed participating delegates at the summit taking place at Sheraton Doha Hotel.
Sheikh Saoud on Sunday said the meeting attended by the Secretaries General of the GCC Olympic Committees will be making recommendations on how to get more young people interested in sports.
Meanwhile HH the Deputy Emir Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad al-Thani met Ministers of Youth and Sports, the heads of GCC Olympic Committees and the accompanying delegations, who called on His Highness to greet him. During the meeting, they reviewed the fraternal relations between the GCC member states in the field of sports and youth and ways of enhancing them. Following the meeting, HH the Deputy Emir honoured the executive leaders and outstanding young people in the GCC countries for their influential role in the field of youth action and sports.
