EYES ON CHINA GOLD - Qatar Olympic Committee

Q3.08.news
“this emir’S cup
final was one
of the most
colourful and
noisy we have
ever seen ”
A day of dramatic action on the pitch
saw Umm Salal clinch the Emir’s
Cup, while the entertainment off the
pitch turned the Cup final into a
memorable all-day event for the fans.
a unique flavour to the final.
“Our strategy was very much around
community involvement and we spoke at
length to our sponsors so we could partner
with them in their promotional activities
around the event.
“It was a day to celebrate and unite.
What we wanted to achieve was that
everyone who left the stadium came away
with a fantastic and long lasting impression.
We put in a lot of hard work to ensure
this Emir Cup final was one of the most
colourful and noisy we have ever seen.”
Among the line-up entertaining the
crowds were poets such as Mohammad bin
Fates Al-Marri and Khalil Al-Tamimi. The
well known Qatari poets gave recitals.
One of the most popular attractions was
the chance for fans to win one of 20 Toyota
vehicles in a special competition.
The motor manufacturer had models
such as two Land Cruisers, one Avalon,
three Camrys and 12 Yaris up for grabs.
In order for the thousands of fans to
enjoy the events gates opened at 3pm
– some four hours before the teams got
the game underway. And after the game
finished, there was a colourful laser and
firework display.
All of which was the perfect icing on the
cake, for a game which proved to be a real
cliff-hanger.
With Al Gharrafa looking to complete a
league and cup double, they took the lead,
only to be pegged back by Umm Salal.
With the game tied at 1-1 in the first half,
two more goals before full-time saw the 90
minutes finish with the scores level at 2-2.
After extra-time could not separate the
sides, it went to penalties where Umm Salal
emerged victorious, scoring four penalties to
Al Gharrafa's one.
They were awarded with the golden
trophy by HH The Emir Sheikh Hamad Bin
Khalifa Al-Thani.
QOC HONOURS SPORTING
PERSONALITIES
The Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) has
honoured the country’s top sporting talent
with awards for outstanding achievements
in the season 2007–2008.
HE Sheikh Saoud Bin Abdulrahman Al
Thani, Secretary General of Qatar Olympic
Committee (QOC) led the awards celebrating
more than 50 leading sportsmen and
women, teams, federations and sponsors,
voted for by members of the national media.
The ceremony held at the Al Rostah
Hall in the Diplomatic Club witnessed
participation of Qatar’s best athletes and
personalities including Deputy Premier
and Minister of Energy and Industry – HE
Abdullah Bin Hamad Al Attiyah who received
the ‘Pioneers’ award. The Qatar women’s
basketball team, winners of the gold medal
at this year’s 11th Pan Arab Games, won the
‘Appreciation Cup’ for the best sports team.
For the federations, the Qatar Shooting
and Archery Federation, received the
‘Golden Federation Cup’, while the Qatar
Volleyball Association, was awarded the
‘Ideal Association Cup’.
The ‘Best National Coach Cup’ was
granted to Abdullghadir Mughaiseeb, coach
of Al Sailiya Sport Club, while the Qatar
national volleyball team coach, the Croatian
Igor Arbutina, was selected as the ‘Best
Foreign Coach’ based on the team’s gold
medal showing at the last Arab Games in
Cairo. Qatar National Bank from the public
sector received the ‘Sport Sponsor Cup’,
while Al Emmadi Enterprises from the
private sector received the same accolade.
Q3.08 QatarSport 11