World high jump champion Mutaz Barshim, 400m hurdles bronze-winner Abderrahman Samba and former sprint legend Talal Mansour were honoured for their outstanding contribution to sport by Ooredoo Chairman HE Sheikh Abdulla bin Mohamed al-Thani at the company’s headquarters in West Bay.
Qatar’s leading telecommunications operator was a National Partner of the IAAF World Championships which concluded on Sunday.
In the presence of Sheikh Saud bin Nasser al-Thani, CEO, Ooredoo Group, Waleed al-Sayed, CEO, Ooredoo Qatar and a host of senior executives from Ooredoo, HE Sheikh Abdulla commended both athletes for their outstanding commitment and dedication, noting they achieved their feats despite having just recovered from injuries which had caused them to miss almost the whole athletics season prior to the Doha Worlds.
Barshim defended his world title with a leap of 2.37m at the Khalifa International Stadium on Friday, becoming the first high jumper to do so at the IAAF World Championships.
A few days earlier, Samba had claimed bronze in the 400m hurdles which included a top field including Karsten Warholm and Benjamin Rai, who took gold and silver respectively.
Sheikh Abdulla presented both athletes with a token of appreciation on behalf of Ooredoo.
Dr Thani bin Abdulrahman al-Kuwari, the Second Vice-President of the Qatar Olympic Committee and President of Qatar Athletics Federation (QAF), was also present on the occasion.
HE Sheikh Abdulla also thanked Mansour, the Qatari sprinter who holds an Asian indoor record for the men’s sprint, for his contribution to the fan experience at Doha 2019.
Mansour received the Chairman’s recognition for his efforts behind the scenes to report on all the action, with Sheikh Abdulla noting his dedication in providing exclusive and breaking news from behind the scenes to his many followers and sports fans in Qatar and the wider Gulf region. His enthusiasm motivated many other social media influencers to cover the event, HE Sheikh Abdulla said.
HE Sheikh Abdulla added: “It gives us great pleasure to be able to recognise the efforts and achievements of our national sports stars who made world records and represented our country in the best possible image.
“We thank them all for proudly flying the flag for Qatar and look forward to more sporting achievements in the near future. We’re proud to have been National Partner for the IAAF World Athletics Championships, and delighted to have contributed to the success of this prestigious event.”
L to R: Former Asian sprint champion Talal Mansour; CEO, Ooredoo Qatar, Waleed al-Sayed, hurdler Abderrahman Samba, Second Vice-President of the Qatar Olympic Committee and President of Qatar Athletics Federation (QAF) Dr Thani bin Abdulrahman al-Kuwari, Ooredoo Chairman HE Sheikh Abdulla bin Mohamed al-Thani, world champion high jumper Mutaz Barshim and Ooredoo Group CEO Sheikh Saud bin Nasser al-Thani pose during the felicitation ceremony. At bottom, Ooredoo Chairman HE Sheikh Abdulla with Barshim and Samba.
