Issue 14 - Qatar Olympic Committee
Issue 14 - Qatar Olympic Committee
Issue 14 - Qatar Olympic Committee
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ISSUE <strong>14</strong> NEWS<br />
QMMF President Nasser<br />
Khalifa Al-Attiyah and<br />
Spanish star Ricky Cardus<br />
at the <strong>Qatar</strong> MotoGP.<br />
POINTS BOOST FOR QMMF RACING<br />
The QMMF Racing Team, the first <strong>Qatar</strong>based<br />
motorcycling team to take part in the<br />
MotoGP World Championships, celebrated<br />
its first Championship points at the Grand<br />
Prix of Portugal in Estoril in May.<br />
Spanish star Ricky Cardus finished the<br />
Moto2 race in <strong>14</strong>th place with <strong>Qatar</strong>i<br />
teammate Mashel Al Naimi crossing the<br />
line in 28th position for his first finish of<br />
the season.<br />
The team made its competitive debut<br />
at the season-opening <strong>Qatar</strong> MotoGP in<br />
March and is run by the <strong>Qatar</strong> Motor<br />
and Motorcycling Federation (QMMF)<br />
President Nasser Khalifa Al-Attiyah, who<br />
predicts a bright future for the project.<br />
“Having strong riders as our<br />
ambassadors will help to shape the<br />
image of our country in the world,”<br />
says the federation chief. “The impact<br />
of motorcycle racing has grown in our<br />
country and we are very proud of our<br />
motorcycle culture. Our goal is to look<br />
good in this championship and to build an<br />
even better future!”<br />
Al-Attiyah’s optimism is echoed by<br />
Carmelo Ezpeleta, CEO of Dorna, the<br />
Spanish event management and marketing<br />
company that runs MotoGP.<br />
Praising <strong>Qatar</strong>’s dramatic progress<br />
over the last decade, Ezpeleta said: “The<br />
QMMF Racing Team is one more crucial<br />
step in establishing the culture of MotoGP<br />
racing in the Middle East...but they need<br />
to be patient. They will do as well as they<br />
possibly can and improve step by step.”<br />
<strong>Qatar</strong> will further boost its<br />
motorcycling credentials in July when it<br />
launches a new academy for young riders<br />
at the Losail International Circuit - the<br />
first such institute to educate young bikers<br />
in the region.<br />
Designed to replicate the highly<br />
successful European academies which have<br />
launched numerous careers in the sport,<br />
Al- Attiyah says the facility has been set up<br />
for riders aged nine years to 15.<br />
“This is the best age to teach kids about<br />
racing,” he said. “We will provide the<br />
bikes for these riders. Parents can bring<br />
their kids to our academy and we will<br />
teach them about racing and we will tutor<br />
them about competition. We will speak to<br />
the kids in their language.”<br />
ISSUE <strong>14</strong> QATARSPORT 9
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