*The initiative aims to reach another 500,000 more to positively impact 1mn people by 2022 through the power of football

More than 500,000 people in the Middle East and Asia have so far benefitted from ‘Generation Amazing (GA) – the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy’s (SC) football for development programme, GA executive director Mushtaq al-Waeli has said.

“As we reach the 10th year of our journey, we have continued to grow and expand the reach and impact of the programme. It is one of our most important legacy initiatives,” al-Waeli told reporters at a roundtable discussion on Wednesday in Doha.

GA, initiated during Qatar’s successful bid for the FIFA World Cup 2022 in 2010, is using the power of sport to positively impact lives and create sustainable social development in communities.

As part of its goal, the initiative aims to reach another 500,000 more to positively impact 1mn people by 2022 through the power of football.

“This year we are creating an enhanced Community Club Model and Football for Development Coaching Certification as part of our transition to become GA Foundation, which will continue post 2022 aiming to become a leader in the global football for development field,” al-Waeli said.

“Aligned to the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals and the Qatar National Vision 2030, we see sports in general and football in particular as a transformative tool and as a fundamental instrument in order to achieve socio-economic and wider development outcomes for refugee communities and disadvantaged youth globally,” he noted.

Al-Waeli lauded the support of the Ministry of Education and Higher Education and the Qatar National Commission for Education, Culture and Science, noting that the programme has been launched in 32 government schools and 18 international schools.

Some 50 Physical Education teachers and 45 coaches from GA's strategic partner, Qatar Football Association, also received training under the programme.

Al-Waeli underscored the importance of the sport saying it serves as a significant tool to drive towards social cohesion and development.

“Research and studies have indicated very clearly over the last few years that football for development is one the most effective tools and has evidence-based results that it impacts the lives of many beneficiaries who’ve been through the programme,” he stressed.

In a press statement, Hissa Yousuf M al-Ali, director of Training and Education Development at the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, said the aim is for the programme to reach 10,000 schoolchildren every year in Qatar.

“We are providing and facilitating resources for GA programme in schools. It's a way of investing in each child to promote these values. By attaining these values, we are raising confident children,” added al-Ali, who attended the train the trainer workshop at Ahmed Mansour School.

In Muscat, the train the trainer sessions were organised by GA partner Sabco Sports before the programme is rolled out across 20 schools in Oman.

According to SC, football coach Nabil al-Bulooshi joined the programme after realising its potential impact on youth across Oman.