EYES ON CHINA GOLD - Qatar Olympic Committee

o o o o o o o o o
beijing
2008
“we expect to
have a team of
27 athletes
competing in
six different
sports AT
beijing 2008”
has gone into making the Road to Beijing
as smooth as possible can be found in the
massive free-standing calendar which
stands outside Khalil Al Jabber’s offices on
the 20th floor of the Olympic Tower in
Doha. This is the time-line writ large, a
clear indication of the tasks to be completed
each day as the countdown to Beijing
continues. Next to it are diagrams of the
accommodation which will be found in
the Olympic Village, introducing the
athletes to the realities of Olympic
life well before they step onto the
‘plane to China. Khalil Al Jabber
is determined that he and his
delegation will be ready and
absolutely nothing is being left to
chance.
Months before the Games, the
Chef de Mission had accompanied
federation chiefs and other officials
on fact finding visits to Beijing in
order to familiarise themselves
with the facilities and conditions
they will face when the team
arrives from its training camp in Hong Kong a few days
before the official opening of what it still generally agreed
to be The Greatest Show On Earth.
The Qatar delegation will consist of competitors,
coaches, medical staff and officials, some of whom will
stay in the Olympic Village.
“We are expecting to have a team of 27 athletes in six
different sports in Beijing,” explained Khalil Al Jabber.
“We will be represented in track and field, shooting,
fencing, weightlifting, swimming and taekwondo and
while it is difficult to predict the outcome of events we will
certainly be looking for progress in every area,” he said.
Qatar’s strength in shooting disciplines has been well
established over the years and with Nasser Saleh Al-Attiya
taking fifth place in the 2000 Sydney Games and fourth in
Athens four years ago, there are strong hopes that further
improvement will result in a medal for Qatar.
Likewise in weightlifting where Jaber Saeed Salem won
the Bronze medal in Athens, there are high hopes, if not
expectations, of an even better placing this time around.
Elsewhere the team will have young competitors taking
place in their very first Olympic Games in both the 100m
breast stroke swimming event and in fencing, while in
Taekwando, Abdulqader Hikmat Sarham will be looking
to build on the success enjoyed in wining Gold at the 13th
Asian Games in Doha.
“Every member of the team will give 100 per cent in
their events but we are realistic enough to know that not
all have a realistic medal chance,” Khalil Al Jabber said.
“But in every case we know that each athlete has their
own personal goal. For some it would be a triumph simply
to get into the final of their event.”
“The performance of the team means a lot to Qatar and
its people. Over the years we have built a good infrastructure
for sport and made sport and sports participation central
to life in the State. We are now gradually beginning to see
the fruits of the investment that has been made.
“For example, this is the first time we have been
represented in Taekwondo which means that the standard
must be improving thanks to the facilities which are
available. Fencing is another sport which has taken giant
steps as the federation was only established 12 year ago
and now has a representative in the Olympic Games.”
Today everybody involved in sport in Qatar is focused
on the Games and helping the competitors achieve
maximum performance.
“The Federations and everybody else are being very cooperative.
Everybody shares the same goal,” Khalil Al
Jabber said.
The Beijing Olympic Games provide a global showcase
for sport in Qatar but the Chef de Mission sees the Games
not as an end in themselves but as a stepping stone on a
longer and ultimately more important journey.
“The Olympic Games provide an opportunity to show
Qatar and the world what is happening in sport in Qatar.
Our ultimate goal though is beyond Beijing. It is about
continually bringing youngsters into sport, identifying
their talents and providing them with the facilities,
resources and support they need to achieve their potential,”
Khalil Al Jabber said.
“We have to think constantly about the future and
while our immediate focus may be Beijing 2008, at the
back of our minds is the task of developing talent for the
2010 Asian Games in Guanzou and, beyond that, the
Olympic Games in London in 2012.
“We have created a sports structure in Qatar in which
everything comes under the Olympic umbrella. This
extends from our highly successful Schools Olympic Day
programme to the Games themselves.
“For reasons of enjoyment, social fulfilment and health,
we want to encourage Qataris of all ages to engage in sport
and it is particularly important to do this by working
closely and supporting youngsters.
“Schools Olympic Day succeeded in involving hundreds
of thousands of young Qataris in sport, some for the first
time. Many will have enjoyed the experience and been
encouraged to develop their sporting interests and talents
as far as they will take them.
“This, alongside our ongoing talent identification
programmes, will help us to recognise potential among
youngsters and develop them for the future. The Youth
Olympic Games in Singapore may provide a platform for
some of them but our focus is longer-term.
“Success in the Olympic Games will be celebrated
throughout Qatar and provide clear evidence of
what can be achieved on the world stage. I hope and expect
that this will inspire youngsters who will want to
emulate members of the Beijing team at Olympic Games
in the future.
Like some members of his team, this will be Khalil Al
Jabber’s first Olympic games and he is delighted to be a
part of it.
“Whether I carry the flag or the country’s name, the
Opening Ceremony will be a very proud moment for me
personally and for my country,” he said.
20 QatarSport Q3.08