More than 4,000 people of all ages, gender and segments of the society participated in the third edition of the Team Qatar’s Flag Relay, organised by Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) in celebration of sports, Qatar and its athletes.
The relay took place on Friday as part of the Qatar National Day celebrations and provided each of the 4,000 participants with the honour of carrying the national flag, which will be raised at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
The relay was open to all Qatari athletes and participants from every sector of the society in attendance, reflecting the country’s commitment to inclusivity and the power of sports in facilitating unity and building bridges.
The relay began at 7am from the QOC headquarters and the flag was transported across Qatar, visiting schools, Doha English Speaking School, Doha College, the Ooredoo building, Qatar Foundation and Katara - the Cultural Village before finishing at Hamad International Airport, where the flag was handed over to be flown to Tokyo.
Jassim bin Rashid al-Buenain, secretary-general of QOC, said: “We are very proud that more people than ever before took part in this year’s Team Qatar’s Flag Relay. It has been an excellent year for Qatari sports. Our athletes have excelled on the field of play and we as a nation have had the honour of welcoming the world for some of the most prestigious international sports events.
“Everyone in Qatar has played a part in this success and today (Friday) was about ensuring that everyone feels that sense of pride and unity. When our national flag is raised at Tokyo 2020, everyone who participated today (Friday) will know that they played a part in getting it there.”
Qatar has this year hosted the IAAF World Athletics Championships as well as the inaugural ANOC World Beach Games and is currently hosting the FIFA Club World Cup.
 The national football team won the 2019 Asian Cup in the UAE and notable athlete successes included Mutaz Barshim winning gold in the high jump and Abdurrahman Samba winning bronze in the men’s 400m hurdles at the IAAF World Championships. The 2019 Team Qatar’s Flag Relay was supported by a list of official sponsors, including Ooredoo, Qatar Airways, Sports Corner and Al Kass Channels.
The event was also backed by key stakeholders, namely Qatar Foundation, Katara and Hamad International Airport, while Abdullah Abdulghani & Bros Co, F45, Al Meera Group, CAF Cafe, GBM and Gulf Crafts were the official
suppliers.