SCHOOLED IN SPORT <strong>Qatar</strong>’s innovative Schools <strong>Olympic</strong> Programme (SOP) gives every child a chance to take part in competitive <strong>sport</strong>. SOP shares its core values with ‘Sport for All’ initiatives in other <strong>sport</strong>sloving nations, but its unique model contains lessons that everybody can learn from. 32 | Issue 17 | <strong>Qatar</strong> Sport
SCHOOL SPORT EVERYONE AGREES that <strong>sport</strong> is good for young people. While different cultures may have varying opinions about the value of competition, they’re united in the belief that physical activity helps combat contemporary concerns such as obesity, while encouraging cross-community social integration and well-being. QATAR In <strong>Qatar</strong>, the last decade’s investment in <strong>sport</strong>s facilities and events has been matched by an ongoing commitment to the nation’s children. This is best illustrated by <strong>Qatar</strong>’s Schools <strong>Olympic</strong> Program (SOP), the annual event, which started during the 2007/2008 school year and is now five years old. The SOP was an initiative of H.H. Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani, <strong>Qatar</strong>’s Heir Apparent and President of the <strong>Qatar</strong> <strong>Olympic</strong> <strong>Committee</strong>. Keen to encourage school students to regard <strong>sport</strong> as an integral part of their lifestyle, he proposed that the SOP be launched as part of <strong>Qatar</strong>’s “Sport for All” programme. Three main pillars are evident in the way the SOP has developed. The first is that it provides a powerful introduction to Olympism and a platform for <strong>Olympic</strong>-based initiatives. The second is that it provides an early opportunity to identify and develop young talent. The third, no less significant, is a social agenda which is designed to raise <strong>sport</strong> awareness and participation among youth, celebrate the cultures of <strong>Qatar</strong> and debate <strong>sport</strong>ing values and societal challenges. This last pillar is reinforced by an annual theme, which is chosen to reflect the critical relationship between <strong>sport</strong> and civil society. After Sport for Health in year one, the SOP organisers singled out Sport and Environment, Sport and Culture and Sport and Education for the next three years. For the fifth edition, the theme is Sport and Family. It was chosen, say the organisers, to highlight “the valuable contribution of the family institution in the society and its direct impact on <strong>sport</strong>.” Although <strong>Qatar</strong>’s SOP builds towards two high-profile days of competition for girls and boys which are played out at the Aspire Indoor Hall in front of family, friends and key stakeholders, the entire process (from qualification through to Finals) lasts from October through to April. Boys and Girls from 6-18 are able, via their schools, to participate in individual <strong>sport</strong>s such as gymnastics, fencing and table-tennis and team <strong>sport</strong>s such as basketball, football, handball and volleyball. The 2012 edition has already been hailed a success. More than 20,000 boys and girls took part, surpassing the record of 17,492 who were involved in 2011. SOP also features a ‘Special Day’, a unique event that this year offered more than 350 students with special needs the opportunity to take part in a variety of different <strong>sport</strong>ing events, including athletics-based <strong>sport</strong>s and table-tennis. “Across all <strong>sport</strong>s and all abilities, the SOP encourages meaningful competition, but just as important is the sense of a society pulling together behind a common cause.” Across all <strong>sport</strong>s and all abilities, SOP encourages meaningful competition, but just as important is the sense of a society pulling together behind a common cause – a successful combination which owes a lot to the interaction between the QOC, the Supreme Council of Education and School Sports Federation. Not all countries benefit from such a direct connection between the <strong>sport</strong>ing and political institutions. But there are plenty of other illustrations of how nations use youth <strong>sport</strong> programmes to identify potential talent and meet social goals. CANADA Canada has one of the most active school <strong>sport</strong>s bodies in the world and a government that aims to ensure that all children have access to <strong>sport</strong>. School Sport Canada is the largest structured <strong>sport</strong> organisation in Canada, with over 750,000 student athletes, 52,000 volunteer teacher coaches and 3,200 schools attached. But for those who are liable to slip through the net, the Canadian government’s agenda is managed via Sport Canada – a federal body that is briefed to encourage and support both competitive excellence and mass participation. Sport Canada contributes funds to KidSport, a charity focused on helping kids overcome the financial barriers to playing <strong>sport</strong>. As the organisation says in its mission statement: “We believe that no kid should be left on the sidelines and all should be given the opportunity to experience the positive benefits of organised <strong>sport</strong>s.” As a result of KidSport’s excellent work and with the support of thousands of local <strong>sport</strong>s organisations, the programme has gone from strength to strength since it was formed in 2005. In 2010, 50,000 kids received grants ranging from $200 to $500 to pay for fees or equipment. <strong>Qatar</strong> Sport | Issue 17 | 33
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