For the first time in Qatar, an association for women working in sport has been launched.
The roll out of the initiative was held at the Shangri-La Hotel in Doha and coincided with the International Women’s Day, celebrated annually on March 8.
This new group, to be named Women in Sport Qatar (WISQ), met for the first time and, in what was an informal meeting, brought together both local and international resident female professionals who all work in the field of sport.
Many of the women hold senior positions in sport and together they represented organisations such as the Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC), Aspire, Aspetar, Al Jazeera, Qatar Women’s Sport Committee, local sport event management companies and the International Centre for Sport Security (ICSS).
The idea is to provide a social and professional networking group for women working and playing in sport in Qatar. It was conceived by Karen Webb Moss, who co-founded the Women in Sport network in the UK in the run up to the London 2012 Games, and now lives and works in Qatar as the ICSS Group Chief Operating Officer.
Speaking at the event, Moss said, “As Qatar is the proud host of multiple sporting events and, as we move closer to the staging of the IAAF World Championships and the 2022 World Cup, it is increasingly evident that Qatar also can, and should be, proud of the many impressive women now leading and working in the business of sport.
“Our association aims to bring together a network of women living here in Qatar who are from diverse cultures and backgrounds but who all have a common personal or professional interest in, and around, the field of sport.”
The first Women In Sport Qatar meeting focused on the vision and goals for such a network. Women In Sport Qatar will now work swiftly to set down its objectives and identify a scope of work.
Matters discussed ranged from the growing opportunities for women in the sports business to challenges for women wanting to compete and participate in community team sports.