A Qatari teenager chosen as a youth ambassador for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar has spoken of the inspiration she got from going to this year’s tournament in Russia.
Maha al-Badr, 13, went to matches and attended workshops at the CSKA Basketball Arena in Moscow with legendary player Ibrahim Khalfan from Qatar’s memorable 1981 team, and former French World Cup finalist Florent Malouda.
Also on hand were former Barcelona and Argentina star, Javier Saviola, ex-England and Liverpool striker, Stan Collymore and five times World Cup coach, Bora Milutinovic.
Maha was among 16 young leaders from communities in The Philippines, India and Qatar invited to experience their first ever World Cup, and use what they have learned to inspire others at home.
They are part of Generation Amazing, a project launched by Qatar to improve the lives of a million people in some of the poorest parts of the world by connecting them with football.
As an ambassador for the 2022 tournament, Maha is tasked with helping develop sport at a grassroots level in Qatar, as part of the World Cup legacy.
“It was amazing-  I am so proud to be part of this programme,” said Maha, who took part in a live studio discussion on the beIN Sports World Cup broadcaster in Russia. “It allows me to give back what Qatar gave me in these past years, and I am so excited about the World Cup we will host in 2022.
“I know that we can make it a wonderful event that people will enjoy. I like how Generation Amazing develops people as leaders and uses football to make their community better.”
Maha supports the Al Sadd team and her favourite player is Khalfan Ibrahim Khalfan, who was voted Asian Player of the Year in 2006 and won the Asian Champions League with Al Sadd.
His father, Ibrahim Khalfan, was a member of the famous 1981 Qatar team that made the final of the U20 World Cup in Australia, beating England and Brazil on the way.
Describing what she loved about her country the most she said simply: “It gives opportunities to people – it’s always encouraging talent and seeking the best.”
Mead al-Emadi, Local and Regional CSR Manager with Generation Amazing, said the young ambassadors who went to Russia will take valuable lessons back home with them.
She said: “We have significantly expanded the reach of Generation Amazing in Qatar and the region, and will be expanding into new countries in the near future. These young ambassadors we took to Moscow are a reflection of the positive and inspirational effect we are having in all of the different communities which we are reaching through the power of football.”
The party first saw a group match between France and Denmark, before going to an exciting knock-out tie when hosts Russia beat one of the tournament favourites, Spain, on penalties.
The two-hour-long workshops included a basketball for development activity with Ivan Edeshko, 1972 Olympic champion, and Dmitry Minaev, longtime CSKA Moscow player.
Javier Saviola, who played for Argentina at the 2006 World Cup in Germany, said: “Some of these kids come from difficult circumstances and it made us feel proud to be here and join them with Generation Amazing.
“The important thing is that they enjoyed themselves, and that they can take important lessons and values from us, such as education, humility, all that we had to be able to achieve what we did. I hope that in future they can take what we transmitted to them today back to their communities.”
As they prepared to depart at the end of the one-week trip, CSR senior manager Isabel Gultresa said: “This event was a big success because we were able to showcase the work we are doing in communities across Asia, and how Generation Amazing can be adapted to different sports and contexts.
“The power of sport to bring people together is incredible, and it was great to work with CSKA Moscow and an honour to host the Best Buddies children.
“Our new ambassadors will bring their expertise and learnings back to their countries.”