NEWS - Qatar Olympic Committee

QATARSPORT 

Q5.2009 $10 

the offi cial magazine of the qatar olympic committee 

DRIVING FORCE 

DEVELOPING GOLF 

CULTURE IN THE GULF 

FOOTBALL FUTURES 

TRAINING QATAR’S 

NEXT GENERATION 

THE BIG INTERVIEW 

MOHAMMED BIN 

HAMMAM 

DOHA CHAMPIONSHIPS 

TAKE CENTRE STAGE

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QATARSPORT.Q5.09.CONTENTS 

04 QOC Comment Message from the Secretary General 

05 News World class event round-up 

12 Tennis on top Spotlight on Qatar’s tennis strategy 

16 The Desert Swing Driving golf in the Gulf region 

18 Star in Qatar Adam Scott means business 

21 Women in Sport Committed to inclusivity 

22 The Gulf Cup Qatar’s golden wonders 

24 Player Development On the ball with Aspire 

26 Partners in Sport The Al Jazeera Sports Channel 

29 Sports Diary Highlights of the sporting season 

30 Health Surviving football’s injury time 

34 The Big Interview Mohammed Bin Hammam 

No article in this publication or part thereof may be reproduced without proper permission and full acknowledgement of the source: 

Qatar Sport, a publication of the Qatar Olympic Committee. 

© Qatar Olympic Committee, 2008. 

www.olympic.qa 

qoc@olympic.qa 

Designed and produced for the Qatar Olympic Committee by SportBusiness Group, London. 

Cover photo: supplied by the QOC 

Q5.09 QATARSPORT 3 

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4 QATARSPORT Q5.09 

Saoud Bin Abdulrahman Al-� ani, Secretary General, Qatar Olympic Committee 

Welcome... 

The beginning of the year is a particularly exciting 

period for sport in Qatar and for the country’s 

sportsmen and women. In January, Qatar teams 

travelled to Oman to take part in the 19th Gulf Cup, 

becoming champions in two of the four sports in the 

schedule. � e Gulf Cup is a particularly important 

competition, which was established back in 1970 and 

even predates the formation of the GCC, the Gulf 

Cooperation Council. 

“We must never lose sight of the need to 

develop and promote our national teams 

and to connect with our youngsters” 

Held every two years it was launched solely as a 

football competition and Qatar was proud to host the 

2004 edition, which saw the addition of volleyball, 

basketball and handball. Over the years the Gulf Cup 

has been the catalyst for the development of excellent 

sporting facilities and infrastructure in Qatar and 

throughout the Gulf, with the result that we now have 

some of the fi nest stadiums and indoor sports arenas in 

the world. Our hope is that the success of the Gulf Cup 

will ultimately lead to the creation of a GCC Games, 

which will provide a showcase for the skills of athletes 

from the region in a range of additional sports. 

While we were delighted with the performance of 

Qatar’s teams in the Gulf Cup, equally important, is 

the sense of community among neighbours that results 

from sharing this sporting experience. It can only help 

strengthen the ties between neighbouring states and we 

eagerly anticipate the next competition, which will be 

hosted by Yemen in 2010. 

While Qatar’s sportsmen were impressing in Oman, 

Doha was providing a warm welcome for the superstars 

of men’s tennis and the leading players on golf’s 

European PGA Tour. 

� e ExxonMobil Qatar Open is the fi rst date on the 

ATP Tour Calendar and this year attracted the world’s 

top rated players including Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer 

and the up-and-coming Andy Murray who took the 

title in what was a fascinating tournament packed with 

top quality tennis. 

Late last year, Doha also hosted the world’s fi nest 

female tennis players when it provided the stage for 

the season-ending Sony Ericsson Championship. � is 

too proved to be an epic contest, which delivered some 

surprising results along the way as American Venus 

Williams beat Russian Vera Zvonareva in the fi nal after 

losing the fi rst set. � ese events have fi rmly established 

Doha as a major global centre for world-class tennis and 

it is already established as an important venue for the 

European Golf Tour. 

We take great pride in the fact that the players 

enjoy not only the tournaments and facilities but the 

welcome and hospitality they enjoy in Qatar. It was 

also good to see some of the world’s top tennis players 

taking time out to coach and inspire local youngsters. 

� e Qatar Olympic Committee is committed to 

promoting active participation and is deeply immersed 

in the latest Schools Olympic Day programme, which 

is continuing in schools throughout the country. 

� is year the theme behind the sporting activity 

is � e Environment. Our aim is not simply to foster 

an understanding of the part played by sport in 

establishing a balanced and healthy lifestyle, but 

to teach youngsters important lessons about the 

environment, it fragility and the need to protect it. 

� ese are issues, which will aff ect them and, eventually, 

their own children. � is promises to be an exciting year 

for sport worldwide. 

In Qatar we are looking forward to hosting world 

class cycling, fencing and athletics among a range of 

other events. But, as the activity of the last month or so 

shows, while we are committed to these major events, 

we must never lose sight of the need to develop and 

promote our national teams and to continue to connect 

with our youngsters.

STARS IN THE SPOTLIGHT 

The stars of world tennis and golf 

converged on Doha in January to compete 

in two of the fastest-growing events on 

their respective professional circuits: 

the ExxonMobil Qatar Open and the 

Commercialbank Masters. 

In tennis, world number one, Rafael 

Nadal of Spain - making his fi rst 

appearance in Doha - and Roger Federer, 

the Doha champion from 2006 and 2007, 

were among a world-class fi eld battling it 

out for a slice of the $1.05 million prize 

money at the Qatar Open. � e presence of 

the world’s top ranked players ensured the 

world’s attention focussed on Qatar for the 

ATP Tour event, but the on-court action 

also served to highlight the depth of talent 

currently on show in the men’s game. 

Nadal made a surprise exit at the 

quarter-fi nal stage, beaten by Gael Monfi ls 

of France, while the defending champion 

Andy Murray of Britain accounted for 

Federer in the semi-fi nals. 

In front of a packed crowd at the Khalifa 

International Tennis Complex, Murray 

then overwhelmed America’s Andy Roddick 

6-4, 6-2 to lift the Golden Eagle trophy for 

the second successive year - off ering further 

proof that the Scot can challenge at the 

Grand Slam events this year. 

Sheikh Saoud joins 

students at Aspire Park 

Alvaro Quirós 

Andy Murray 

Q5.09.NEWS 

“Obviously the more time you spend on 

court against them [Nadal and Federer] the 

more comfortable you feel and you're not 

so in awe of them," Murray said. 

"It defi nitely helps, especially when you 

play them in the latter stages of events and 

in big tournaments." 

Meanwhile, in golf’s Commercialbank 

Masters, eight out of the world’s top 20 

players were among the 120-stong fi eld 

competing for Qatar’s leading European 

Tour event at the Doha Golf Club. � e elite 

list included defending champion Adam 

Scott and previous winner Henrik Stenson, 

the popular American Boo Weekly and 

world number two, Sergio Garica, who was 

making his third consecutive appearance at 

the Qatar Masters. 

Stenson came close to repeating his 

2007 victory when he took the lead at 

the tenth hole on the fi nal day, but it was 

Garcia’s countryman, Alavaro Quirós, 

who claimed the Mother of Pearl trophy 

with an aggregate score of 19 under par. 

Quirós, ranked 74th in the world before 

tournament, was as amazed as anyone by 

his triumph. “Winning is not easy,” he said. 

“It is easy for guys like Sergio Garcia and 

others who win so often. So, defi nitely, it 

[was] a big surprise for me to win here.” 

QOC SUPPORTS 

GREEN AGENDA 

Making the link between a healthy lifestyle 

and a ‘green’ environment, the QOC has 

launched an initiative to instil children with 

a respect for nature through its Schools 

Olympic Day sports development drive. 

� e second edition of the Schools 

Olympic Day programme for the 

2008-2009 academic year is themed on 

‘Sport and the Environment’ and will act as 

the catalyst for a host of environmentallybased 

activities in Qatari schools. � e 

launch ceremony for the project took place 

at the Aspire Park, part of the Aspire Zone 

sports precinct, where around 50 students 

from Qatari schools joined members of the 

government and the QOC to plant saplings 

in an area dedicated to the project. 

Q5.09 QATARSPORT 5

NEWS 

IN BRIEF 

Qatar’s Al Gharaffa and 

Umm Slal Sports Clubs were 

among the 32 football clubs 

in the draw of the 2009 Asian Football 

Confederation Champions League, 

which begins in March 2009. Al 

Gharaffa joined Persepolis (Iran), 

Al Shabab (Saudi Arabia) and either 

Al Sharjah (United Arab Emirates) v 

Dempo (India) in Group B, while Umm 

Slal will take on Al Jazira (United Arab 

Emirates), Esteghlal (Iran) and Al 

Ittihad (Saudi Arabia). 

Portugal claimed the 

fi rst Doha International 

Men’s Youth Handball 

championship in December after 

narrowly beating the hosts 36-33. The 

championship was organised by the 

Qatar Handball Association as part of 

its preparations to host the 3rd Men’s 

Youth World Handball Championship 

this year. Doha hosted the inaugural 

championships in 2005. 

Qatar clinched third position 

at the 16th Arab Volleyball 

Championship, which 

took place in Manama, Bahrain in 

December. Bahrain claimed the title 

ahead of Tunisia. Qatar defeated 

Oman 3-2 on the fi nal day of the 

championships to secure the 

bronze medal position. 

Doha hosted the fi nal 

stop of the Waterski and 

Wakeboard World Cup series 

in November. The event was organised 

by the Qatar Marine Sport Federation 

and saw 60 athletes representing 15 

countries compete in the men’s and 

women’s slalom, shortboard, jump 

and wakeboard events at the famous 

Diplomatic Club. 

The Qatari delegation to the 

6th MENA Regional Games 

in November won 20 medals 

including six golds, seven silvers and 

seven bronzes. 1,500 athletes from 23 

countries competed in 12 sports: track 

and fi eld, swimming, table-tennis, 

seven-aside soccer, weightlifting, 

bowling, bocce, badminton, unifi ed 

basketball (boys and girls), handball, 

equestrian and cycling. 


DOHA TO HOST 2009 

GYMNASIADE 

Qatar’s teenage 

gymnast Nasser 

Al-Hamad 

performs on 

the vault 

Doha will host its biggest multi-sports event 

since the 15th Asian Games Doha 2006 when 

it stages the Doha 2009 Gymnasiade at the end 

of this year. 

Organised every four years, the Gymnasiade 

is the biggest event on the International School 

Sport Federation calendar and will see some 

4,000 international students between the age 

of 15 and 18 come to Qatar to compete in 

aquatics, athletics and gymnastics events. 

“� e competition will off er a record 366 

SHAHEEN TARGETS DRAMATIC RETURN 

Qatar’s world 3,000m steeplechase record 

holder Saif Saaeed Shaheen is set to return to 

the international arena in 2009 after a knee 

injury suff ered in 2007. In an interview with 

the IAAF website, Shaheen said: “I am back. 

� e situation (injury) is now fully healed. In 

fact, I have resumed full-scale training with 

no problems at all. � e doctor has given 

me a clean bill of health.” Shaheen said that 

he will compete at the 12th IAAF World 

Championships in Berlin in August with the 

aim of regaining his steeplechase crown. 

medals in 122 events - a big jump from the 

three previous editions, which all featured 

94 events each,” said Khaleel Ibrahim Al- 

Jabir, Director General of the Doha 2009 

Gymnasiade Organising Committee, a joint 

venture between the Ministry of Education, 

the Qatar Olympic Committee and the Aspire 

Zone. “In addition to athletics, swimming, and 

gymnastics, we’ll hold demonstration events in 

diving, trampoline, fencing and archery.” 

� e Doha Gymnasiade 2009 will be the 

fi rst such event ever to take place in the Middle 

East, and will have added signifi cance because 

many of the participants will feature in the 

fi rst Youth Olympic Games, organised by the 

International Olympic Committee (IOC) and 

scheduled for Singapore in 2010. 

In fact, Qatar was originally slated to host 

the Gymnasiade in October 2010, but after 

discussions with IOC President Jacques Rogge, 

the ISF Executive Committee agreed a new 

date with Qatar’s Ministry of Education for 

December 2009 - ensuring that the IOC’s new 

baby could have the best possible start in life. 

Keep an eye on Qatar’s preparations for the 

Gymnasiade by visiting www.gymnasiade.com. 

Previous hosts of the Gymnasiade 

2006 - Athens (Greece) 

2002 – Caen (France) 

1998 – Shanghai (China) 

1994 – Nicosia (Cyprus) 

1990 – Bruges (Belgium) 

1988 – Barcelona (Spain) 

1986 – Nice (France) 

1984 – Florence (Italy) 

1982 – Lille (France) 

1980 – Torino (Italy) 

1978 – Izmir (Turkey) 

1976 – Orléans (France) 

1974 – Wiesbaden (Germany) 

Shaheen will 

make his 

comeback from 

injury in 2009

SETTING NEW 

STANDARDS 

The Qatar Olympic Committee General Assembly has made 

key personnel and strategy decisions for the Olympic term 

from 2008 to 2012. 

� e QOC’s General Assembly meeting, which is held once every year, 

confi rmed that International Olympic Committee member, H H Sheikh 

Tamim Bin Hamad Al-� ani, will continue as President of the QOC for 

the next Olympic term, with Sheikh Saoud Bin Ali as his Vice-President 

and Sheikh Saoud Bin Abdulrahman Al-� ani, as Secretary General. 

In terms of strategy, QOC Secretary General Sheikh Saoud said that 

the QOC’s plan for the Olympic term will stand on six pillars: sport 

and recreational facilities, media promotion, sport orientation, athletes’ 

career development, developing human 

abilities and organising sport events and 

championships. 

“We are committed to spreading a 

sports culture in the country,” said Sheikh 

Saoud. “We have 27 sport federations, 

besides nine community committees 

in Doha. We stage 28 international 

sports events annually and we are 

going to stage the Asian Cup - Asia’s 

premier football event - in 2011, 

along with many other events in 

the future. We will continue to try 

to bring people together through 

sports.” 

� e meeting established two new Olympic 

federations - the Qatar Karate Federation and 

Qatar Judo Federation - and noted the QOC’s 

achievements during the previous Olympic 

term, which included Qatar’s hosting of 

the 17th Gulf Cup in 2004 and the 15th 

Asian Games Doha 2006. 

QOC Federation 

Presidents 

Sheikh Saoud Bin Ali Al-Thani 

Qatar Basketball Federation 

Sheikh Abdulrahman Bin Saoud Al-Thani 

Qatar Sports Federation for Special Needs 

Sheikh Saoud Bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani 

Qatar Fencing Federation 

Sheikh Khalid Bin Ali Al-Thani 

Qatar Cycling Federation 

Mohammed Yousuf Al Mana 

Qatar Weightlifting and 

Bodybuilding Federation 

Dr Abdullah Yousif Al Mal 

Qatar Volleyball Association 

Khalil Ahmed Al Mohannadi 

Qatar Table-Tennis Association 

Rashid Ali Al Mansouri 

Qatar Equestrian Federation 

Ahmed Mohammed Abdullrab Al Shaabi 

Qatar Handball Federation 

Nabeel Ali Bin Ali Al Moslamani 

Qatar Squash Federation 

Abdullaziz bin Khalifa Al Atiyiah 

Qatar Billiard and Snooker Federation 

Abdullsalam Abbas Hassan 

Qatar Bowling Federation 

Nasser Ghanem Al Kholaifi 

Qatar Tennis Federation 

Hassan Nasser Al Noaimi 

Qatar Golf Association 

Mohammed Ali Al Ghanem 

Qatar Shooting and Archery Federation 

Khalil Ibrahim Al Jaber 

Qatar Swimming Association 


Khalifa Mohammed Al Suwaidi 

Qatar Sailing and Rowing Federation 

Khalifa Mohammed Al Hitmi 

Qatar Chess Association 

Khalifa Mubarak Al Kholaifi 

Qatar Boxing Federation 

Zamil Sayyaf Al Shahrani 

Qatar Wrestling Federation 

Khalid bin Hamad Al Atiyiah 

Qatar Karate Federation 

Abdullah Al Zaini 

Qatar Association of Athletics Federation 

Ali Ahmed Al Hitmi 

Qatar Gymnastics Federation 

Mohammed Ahmed Al Sulaiti 

Qatar Taekwondo and Judo Federation 

Ahlam Salim Al Mane 

Qatar Women’s Sport Committee 

Q5.09 QATARSPORT 7


IN BRIEF 

Qtel has been named as 

sponsor for the next AFC 

Asian Cup tournament, 

to be held in Qatar in 2011, and 

the Asian Champions League for 

2009-2012. As part of its support 

for the AFC Asian Cup, Qtel will 

deploy one of the most advanced 

communication infrastructures 

available to any sporting event in 

the world, building on its experience 

in supporting the Doha Asian 

Games in 2006. 

The fourth round of GCC 

Cycling Tour took place at 

the Losail International 

Circuit in November. Bahrain’s 

Ali Hassan Mansour claimed the 

winner’s podium ahead of Aiman 

Haji of Saudi Arabia. Qatar’s Tariq 

Ibrahim Ismaili fi nished third in the 

80 km race. In December, Bahrain 

clinched the overall title ahead of the 

of the UAE team. 

Egypt topped the medal 

table at the eighth edition 

of the Arab Shooting 

Championships, which took place in 

November at the Losail International 

shooting complex in Doha. The 

ten-day championship featured 357 

shooters, representing 14 

Arab countries. 

The two-day HH Heir 

Apparent Show Jumping 

Championship, organised 

by the Qatar Equestrian Federation, 

saw 17 riders compete for the top 

prize in 2008. Sheikh Ali Bin Khalid 

Al Thani clinched the fi rst place 

ahead of Yousif Al Rumaihi and third 

placed Muaidh Al Qahtani. 

Kamal Abdulsalam, 

Qatar’s star bodybuilder 

convincingly won the 

Qatar Golden Bodybuilding Cup, 

held at the Doha Sheraton Hotel in 

December. Organised by the Qatar 

Weightlifting and Bodybuilding 

Federation, the championship 

featured bodybuilders from Qatar, 

Morocco, Egypt, Libya, Saudi Arabia, 

UAE, Oman, Bahrain, Syria, Lebanon, 

Poland, Malaysia and Iran. 


LAPTOP OPENS IN 2010 

The world’s fi rst underground stadium 

- dubbed ‘� e Laptop’ because of its unusual 

shape - will be unveiled in Doha in mid- 

2010, well in time to host matches during the 

2011 AFC Asian Cup. 

Commissioned by the Qatar Olympic 

Committee (QOC), the Qatar Football 

Association (QFA) and the Aspire Zone at 

a cost of over $20m, the new stadium will 

be an all-weather sports facility with unique 

design and technical features. 

According to Dr Athanasios Batsilas, the 

QFA Technical Director, the extraordinary 

new stadium will off er an ‘outstanding 

experience’ for both players and spectators. 

“You will not see any light towers around 

this new stadium. � is is the unique part of 

this wonderful project,” he said. 

“� e lights will be integrated inside the 

main stand of the stadium, which can house 

around 10,000 to 11,000 people. We will 

also have latest audio and video technology 

Graphic images of ‘� e 

Laptop’ Stadium 

inside the stadium… and easy access to the 

stadium from seven roads leading into the 

underground car park.” 

Although the stadium could be used to 

stage matches at the 2011 Asian Cup, subject 

to Asian Football Confederation (AFC) 

approval, Dr Batsilas said that the stadium is 

being built primarily to conform with AFC 

rules for clubs. “� ere are currently seven 

teams with their own stadiums in the Qatar 

Stars League, but three without stadiums,” 

he said. “� e AFC want teams to play 

both home and away matches, and they are 

supposed to have their own stadiums. 

“� e Asian Cup is not our fi rst priority, 

but if it’s built on time and the AFC approves 

it, we’ll use it.” 

Dr Batsilas rebutted suggestions that 

‘� e Laptop’ could be used to promote a 

prospective FIFA World Cup bid from the 

QFA because World Cup rules require a 

minimum of 30,000 seats per stadium.

QATAR LAUNCHES WORLD CUP BID 

Qatar has launched an ambitious bid 

to become the fi rst Arab country to host 

the FIFA World Cup fi nals. 

� e Secretary General of the Qatar 

Football Association (QFA), Saud Al 

Mohannadi, announced the decision in 

January, confi rming Qatar’s offi cial entry 

into the race to host the 2018 event and, 

if that should fail, the 2022 edition. 

Qatar has “the means and the ability” 

to host the fi nals, either in 2018 or 2022, 

Al Mohannadi said. “We believe we can 

successfully host such a prestigious event 

as the World Cup fi nals. We have the 

stadiums and we have experience hosting 

top sports events,” he said. 

FIFA president Sepp Blatter said the 

host cities for the 2018 and 2022 fi nals 

would be announced at the same time, 

with the bidding process for both to be 

launched in January 2009 and decided by 

December 2010. � is move, Blatter said, 

was made to allow countries more time to 

secure funds and sponsors and complete 

infrastructure work at a time of global 

economic recession. 

Qatar’s bid for the sport’s most 

prestigious event had been rumoured for 

QOC SIGNS FOR 

PAN-ARAB GAMES 

The Pan-Arab Games will be held in the Gulf region for the 

� rst time, when Qatar stages the 12th edition of the quadrennial 

multi-sports event in 2011. 

� e QOC signed the hosting agreement with the Union 

of Arab National Olympic Committee (UANOC) in Muscat, 

Oman on the sidelines of the 19th Gulf Cup football 

tournament in January. 

Qatar’s selection as host for the event was confi rmed in 

October last year when the UANOC awarded the QOC the 

hosting rights ahead of a rival bid from Lebanon. 

On delivering the message, UANOC Secretary General 

Othman Al-Saad said that Qatar’s hosting of the Games would 

give the event “more momentum and signifi cance in light of 

the huge capabilities and world-class sports facilities which 

Qatar owns.” 

� e 11th edition of the Pan-Arab Games were held in 

Egypt in 2007 and saw the participation of some 7,000 

athletes and offi cials from 22 countries and regions compete in 

32 events - six less than the projected number for 2011. 

a long time but the QFA is now confi dent 

that it can beat illustrious competition 

including England, two joint bids from 

Spain and Portugal and Belgium and 

the Netherlands, as well as single bids 

from Australia, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, 

Mexico, Russia and the United States. 

“Of course it is going to be very 

tough, but we have a very good chance,” 

Al Mohannadi said. “We will work hard 

on the bid and prepare well so that we 

are well placed when the offi cial bidding 

begins. Australia is a tough opponent, 

and England could be an early favourite.” 

Qatar’s football authorities have strong 

ties with FIFA President Sepp Blatter, 

who visited Doha last year, and the 2011 

AFC Asian Cup bid document which 

has successfully brought Asia’s biggest 

tournament to Qatar ,was said to have 

impressed the FIFA chief. Al Mohannadi 

added that the bidding would be won on 

merits alone. “We have good relations 

with FIFA, but those alone will not help 

you to host the World Cup. You need to 

have a very good bid and to meet all the 

requirements to host the most prestigious 

football event in the world.” 

1953 Alexandria, Egypt 

1957 Beirut, Lebanon 

1961 Cairo, Egypt 

1976 Damascus, Syria 

1985 Rabat, Morocco 


UANOC President, HRH Prince Sultan Bin Fahd Bin Abdul 

Aziz Al Saud and QOC Secretary General, Sheikh Saoud, 

sign the hosting agreement 

Previous hosts of the Pan- Arab Games 

1992 Damascus, Syria 

1997 Beirut, Lebanon 

1999 Ammam, Jordan 

2004 Algiers, Algeria 

2007 Cairo, Egypt 

Q5.09 QATARSPORT 9


IN BRIEF 

The 2009 Middle East 

Rally season began with 

the Qatar Rally which took 

place between January 22 – 24. The 

new edition of Middle East Rally 

will include 8 rounds, starting from 

Qatar Rally, followed by Kuwait Rally 

(March 5-7), KSA Rally (April 7-9), 

Jordan Rally (May 7-9), Syria Rally 

(June 11-13), Lebanon Rally (July 5-3), 

Cyprus Rally (October 9-11) and Rally 

Dubai (December 5-3). 

Qatar’s Al Sadd and Al Ahli 

Sports Clubs will compete 

at the Asian Handball 

Champions League that will take place 

in Saudi Arabia from February 12-24. 

Al Ahli of Saudi Arabia will host the 

16-team championship, which is run 

by the Asian Handball Federation. 

Al Sadd Sports Club will 

bid to host the inaugural 

Asian Futsal Championship 

with the support of the Qatar Football 

Association (QFA). The club is all set to 

prepare for its bid which will be sent 

to the Asian Football Confederation 

through the QFA. The championship 

is expected to feature 10 Asian teams 

and will be held in July. 

The 2009 Epee Grand 

Prix for men and women, 

organised by the Qatar 

Fencing Federation, saw fencers from 

26 countries compete in the men’s 

competition and from 17countries in 

the women’s competition. Along with 

the host nation, the Grand Prix for 

Women featured fencers from France, 

Britain, Canada, Hong Kong, Hungary, 

Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Poland, 

Sweden, Ukraine and Germany. 

The event took place at the Aspire 

Academy between January 23-26. 

Qatar’s Mishal Al-Naimi 

won the SuperBike event of 

the Qatar International Road 

Racing Championship, which was held 

at the Losail international circuit in 

December. Naif Al Qubaisi fi nished 

second, while Nasser Al Malki took 

third overall. Rashid Al Manai 

claimed the Super Sport event 

championship title. 


AL-ATTIYAH 

SETS NEW 

GOALS 

Al-Attiyah celebrates winning the Cyprus Rally in 2008 

Qatari rally star Nasser Al-Attiyah is looking 

towards the London 2012 Olympic Games to 

fulfi ll his ultimate sporting ambition after a 

record year behind the wheel in 2008. 

Qatar’s fl ag-bearer at the 2008 Beijing 

Olympic Games made history last year, when 

he become the fi rst rally driver to achieve an 

FIA treble in a single season by winning the 

Middle East Rally Championship, the FIA 

World Cup for Cross Country Rallies and the 

FIA Baja World Cup. 

His FIA World Cup triumph, with Swedish 

co-driver Tina � urner in the fi nal round of the 

UAE Desert Challenge, also marked the fi rst 

win by an Arab driver since compatriot Saeed 

Al-Hajri drove to victory across the Emirati 

desert in 1993. “It was a special feeling to win 

the Desert Challenge considering that for 15 

years we have had no winners from the Arab 

world, said the 38-year-old. “My constant aim 

is to improve upon my previous performances 

and my physical fi tness, as well as to be a good 

ambassador for Qatar.” 

But it’s in a quite diff erent sport, with very 

diff erent skill-sets, that Al-Attiyah has focused 

his Olympic ambitions. “A gold medal in skeet 

shooting at the Olympics is a dream that I have 

nursed for a long time. God willing, I hope I 

can realise it in 2012 in London,” said Al- 

Attiyah, who narrowly missed out on a medal 

at the 2004 Athens Olympics. 

PRICE IS RIGHT 

FOR QATAR TEAM 

American Jay Price led his Qatar 

Team to clinch the 2008 U.I.M. F1 

World Championship in December - 

and then thanked the Qatar Marine 

Sports Federation for giving him 

the chance to race at the pinnacle of 

powerboating. 

After his decisive win in Abu Dhabi, 

Price said, “I spent many years 

racing in smaller countries trying 

to keep my career alive and it 

truly paid off in the end. The great 

people at the Qatar Marine Sports 

Federation gave me the chance to 

prove myself. I shall be forever in 

their debt for having faith in my 

abilities.” 

Along with Price, the Qatar team 

consisted of Youssef Al Khulaifi and 

Ahmed Al Fayaad.

The 2008 Qatar Prix de l’Arc de 

Triomphe was won in brilliant style by the 

unbeaten fi lly Zarkava (pictur 

QATARIS SEEK MOTOGP DEBUT 

Qatar’s young motorcycling heroes are hoping 

to breakthrough into MotoGP after a 

brilliant year of endurance racing in 2008. 

The Qatar Endurance Racing International 

Junior Team won the FIM Superstock World 

Cup in September and now Qatar Motor and 

Motorcycling Federation (QMMF) President 

Nasser bin Khalifa Al-Attiyah has his sights 

set on the world’s most prestigious motorcycling 

series. 

“This success gives us motivation to identify 

new riders and form a second team to feature 

in the Endurance Championship. Once this is 

done it will help us in fulfi lling our long-term 

goal of fi elding riders in the 600cc category of 

the MotoGP in 2010,” he said. 

According to star rider Mishal Al-Naimi, the 

team’s success last year was the result of intensive 

training at the famous Le Mans track 

in France. “By giving us an opportunity to 

train at the Le Mans Academy, the federation 

took the right step,” said Al-Naimi. “This is 

why we achieved in the very fi rst year a goal 

that we had hoped to achieve in three years.” 

A new QMMF initiative means that other 

young riders with potential could soon join 

Al-Naimi and his teammates Anthony Delhalle, 

Luca de Carolis and Rashid Al-Mannai 

on the winners’ podium. 

The federation plans to build a motorsport 

academy at the Losail International Circuit 

to groom young talent in the sport - and has 

contracted the Le Mans Academy to conduct 

training programmes in Qatar. 

“The QMMF is committed to identifying riders 

in greater numbers and providing them 

incentives,” said Al-Attiyah. 

The QMMF is also set to host the fi rst-ever 

GCC Road Racing Championship in 2009 for 

both cars and bikes, while facilities at the Losail 

International Circuit have been upgraded 

to meet the unique demands of the Formula 

One teams. 

“Many Formula One teams have regularly 

been coming to Qatar and practicing here 

at the Losail International Circuit,” said 

the QMMF chief. “We have added a few new 

features taking into consideration the needs 

of the F1 teams.” 


Q4.08 QATARSPORT 11

o o o o o o o o o 

WORLD CLASS 

TENNIS 

STAGING THE WTA’S SONY ERICSSON CHAMPIONSHIP HAS RAISED QATAR’S PROFILE AS EVENT HOSTS AND 

SEALED ITS REPUTATION AS ONE OF THE WORLD’S TENNIS HOT SPOTS 

THAT WINNING 

Qatar is emerging as one of the fastest growing and most reliable of 

event venues on the world tennis circuit. 

Recognition of this fact came in November when the Women’s 

Tennis Association (WTA) staged its prestigious end-of-season 

tournament, the Sony Ericsson Championships, in Doha - the fi rst of 

three such Championships to be staged in the capital. 

Qatar beat off challenges from Bangalore, India; Istanbul, Turkey 

and Monterrey, Mexico, for the right to host the event, which saw the 

top eight women’s players vie for the prestigious title. 

After six days of fi erce competition, America’s Venus Williams raised 

the trophy in front a packed crowd at the Khalifa Tennis Complex, but 

as Sony Ericsson WTA Tour CEO, Larry Scott, explained, the event 

also signalled a victory for Qatar and the region. 

“Qatar is a country that is emerging in its sports event organisation 

bona fi des,” says Scott. “When I was with the ATP, we pioneered eff orts 

to bring tennis to the region, and the leaders and federations here have 

always exceeded their obligations and our expectations.” 

Scott is quick to acknowledge the role that the Middle East now 

plays in promoting world tennis. “� e Middle East region is a part of 

the world, quite separate from the economic events we are facing right 

now, which has huge potential,” he says. 

“� ere are one billion people within a four-hour fl ight of Qatar, 

and when you start to talk about the size of the market and a growing 

media market, it’s an attractive proposition.” 

Scott adds that there was also what he calls a ‘social reason’ for 

choosing Doha for the Sony Ericsson. 

“Tennis is the leading global sport for women, however there’s never 

been a major event like this in the region. It’s part of a social 

transformation and an opportunity for younger women to take an 

interest in the sport.” 


Images from the fi nal of 

the WTA Sony Ericsson 

Championships in Doha 

won by Venus Williams 

Of course, for the Qatar Tennis Federation (QTF), there was as 

much, if not more, at stake in hosting the Sony Ericsson as there was 

for the sport’s governing body. 

To put its signifi cance in some perspective, tennis has been integral 

to the state’s development of its sporting profi le for more than 15 years. 

In December 1992, the QTF unveiled the Khalifa International Tennis 

Complex and within a month, it was hosting the fi rst ATP Qatar 

Open, an event that has subsequently been graced by the likes of Boris 

Becker, Pete Sampras and Roger Federer. 

Another step-change came in 2001 when the QTF took the decision 

to host the fi rst ladies tennis championship ever held in the Middle 

East - the WTA Qatar Open, which has received the full backing from 

the world of women’s tennis. 

In 2004, the Qatar Open was upgraded to a Tier II event with total 

prize money of $600,000. In 2008, it became a Tier I event - off ering 

a prize fund of $2.5 million. 

But the Sony Ericsson Championships are rightly regarded as the 

most prestigious event on the QTF’s books. In November, the WTA 

Tour’s top eight singles players and top four doubles team competed 

for prize money of $4.45 million with Venus Williams claiming the 

fi rst prize of $1.34 million. 

But the QTF’s event hosting ambitions do not end there. As the 

Sony Ericsson Championships Technical Director Karim Alawi told 

Qatar Sport: “It’s important for us to organise events of the Sony 

Ericsson’s standard - it’s one of the exams we have to pass to organise 

even bigger events.” 

It’s a statement that testifi es to Qatar’s determination to become a 

world-class sports hub - and one that should keep the eyes of the 

sporting world on Qatar well beyond Doha’s third and fi nal Sony 

Ericsson Championship in 2010.

FEELING 

Q4.08 QATARSPORT 13


WORLD CLASS 

TENNIS 

STARS INSPIRE LOCAL HEROES 

QATAR TENNIS FEDERATION PRESIDENT, NASSER AL-KHULAIFI HAS LAUNCHED A NEW 

PROGRAMME TO CREATE A STRONGER PLAYER BASE IN QATAR 

QTA President 

Nasser Al-Khulaifi 

believes Qatari 

players will learn 

from the presence 

of stars like Rafael 

Nadal, Roger Federer, 

Andy Roddick and 

Andy Murray at 

the 2009 Qatar 

ExxonMobil Open 


Why has tennis been targeted as one of the 

main development sports in Qatar? 

Tennis is very prestigious sport and Qatar’s 

strategy is always to host world-class 

international sports events. Tennis has taken the 

lead in this respect and by hosting international 

events we hope to produce a Qatari player who 

can compete among the world’s Top 50. 

How is the QTF developing the next generation Qatari 

tennis players? 

It is our dream to produce a world-class player and we are 

working very hard towards making it happen. One of the 

ways to achieve this is by organising events like the Sony 

Ericsson Championships and Qatar ExxonMobil Open, 

which help to promote tennis in Qatar. It is great that we 

have so many international events, but that is not our 

sole aim. Qatar’s immediate target is to have a strong 

player base so that we can have our own players taking 

part in Tour events in future. 

What was the post-event analysis on the QTF’s 

organisation of the Sony Ericsson? 

It was very good and we are very happy with the results. 

We hoped to have more fans during the early stages of 

the competition, but we had a great fi nal with a great 

crowd. It’s normal not to have a completely full stadium 

during the fi rst days of an event, but for the coming 

years, we have a strategy to increase the crowd numbers 

and improve that dramatically. 

How was the Khalifa Tennis Complex redeveloped for 

the Sony Ericsson? 

We built an extension from 4,000 to 7,500 seats to meet 

the requirements of the WTA, plus brand new VIP and 

public villages, and a new media centre with the latest 

technology and high-speed communication systems. � e 

look of the stadium was also changed and the player’s 

lounge and services were developed dramatically. 

What was the response from the WTA, the players, 

and the fans? 

We’ve had really positive feedback. It’s important for us 

to organise events of the this standard. It’s one of the 

exams we have to pass to organise even bigger events. 

In the men’s game, Doha now hosts one of the richest 

Tier 11 events on the ATP circuit. How far up the ladder 

can the ExxonMobil Open Tennis Championship go in 

terms of international prestige? 

� e ExxonMobil Open Tennis Championship is a 

world-class tournament: Nadal, Federer, Murray, and 

Roddick all signed up for this year’s event. Our players 

have a lot to learn from them, which is why we picked 

the top players from Qatar to work as ball boys during 

this tournament. It will help them to follow the games of 

the world’s top players up close. 

What are your plans for the QTF’s other major 

tennis events? 

While we are organising the Sony Ericsson 

Championship, we cannot host the WTA’s Qatar/Total 

Open Tennis Championship, however it will return when 

we fi nish hosting the Sony Ericsson. � e Qatar Berlin 

Open was a great promotional vehicle for Qatar, but we 

feel that all our eff orts should now be focussed on the 

tournaments we host in Doha. 

More generally, what are the key attractions of Qatar as 

a tennis event destination? 

We have a beautiful tennis complex and great weather for 

tennis, which is perfect for the players. Doha is also a city 

with rich a culture and traditions and top quality resorts 

to make it an attractive tourist destination.


WORLD CLASS 

GOLF 

SWING STATE 

QATAR GOLF ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT, HASSAN AL 

NAIMI, EXPLAINS THE FEDERATION’S EVENT AND 

SPORTS DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY AS IT PROMOTES 

THE GAME IN QATAR 

Golf is on the move in the Gulf 

region and Qatar’s fl agship tournament, 

the Commercialbank Qatar Masters, 

Presented by Dolphin Energy, is at the 

forefront of the sport’s continuing 

eastward momentum. 

� e Qatar Masters was the richest 

European PGA Tour’s golf event to be 

staged in the Middle East in 2008 - and 

this year’s tournament should maintain 

its number one prize money status 

among the trio of events that make up 

the so-called ‘Desert Swing’. 

From modest beginnings in 1998, 

the rise of the Qatar Masters has been 

nothing short of meteoric, says 

Commercialbank Group CEO Andrew 

Stevens. “With the support of the Qatar 

Golf Association (QGA) and the Qatar 

Olympic Committee, we have seen the 

tournament grow to become one of the 

leading tournaments on the Tour’s 

international calendar,” he explains. 

“A wonderful venue, world-class 

infrastructure and an all-star cast of 

players have helped propel the event to 

a height few could have imagined just a 

few years ago.” 

� e event has also benefi ted from 


Alvaro Quirós, winner of 

the 2009 Qatar Masters 

the keen personal interest of His 

Highnesses � e Emir Sheikh Hamad 

Bin Khalifah Al-� ani and � e Heir 

Apparent Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad 

Bin Khalifah Al-� ani, President of the 

Qatar Olympic Committee. 

� eir ‘endless support of Qatari 

sport in general and, in particular, of 

golf,’ says QGA President Hassan Al 

Nuami, has been a major factor in the 

tournament’s success, which, in turn, 

has become key to the development of 

both golf tourism in Qatar and the 

promotion of the game among young 

Qataris. But the fi nal ingredient in the 

Qatar Masters success story is the 

quality of Doha Golf Club itself. 

“I think all the players agree that 

Doha provides a real test of golf with a 

biting desert wind capable of ruining 

even the best golfer’s score-card,” says 

Doha Golf Course General Manager 

Chris Myers. 

“In addition, the course was designed 

by Peter Harradine and is renowned for 

lush green fairways, challenging greens 

and water hazards, which dominate an 

area that used to be a desert wasteland 

but is now a world-class tour venue.”

“WE WANT 

TO CREATE 

A GOLF 

CULTURE 

IN QATAR” 

QATAR GOLF ASSOCIATION 

PRESIDENT, HASSAN AL 

NAIMI, EXPLAINS THE FEDERATION’S 

EVENT AND SPORTS DEVELOPMENT 

STRATEGY AS IT PROMOTES THE 

GAME IN QATAR 


ASIAN 

BEACH GAMES 

Why has golf been targeted as one 

of the main development sports 

in Qatar? 

Quite apart from Qatar’s sporting 

ambitions, golf has been identifi ed 

as an important addition for 

tourism in Qatar. 

The Qatar Masters has become 

one of the top events on the PGA 

European Tour. How far up the 

ladder can the Qatar Masters 

event go in terms of prestige and 

top player participation? 

Our vision is to move ahead in developing the tournament by improving its 

standard and attracting the best and highest-ranking golf professionals in the 

world. Of course, with the co-operation the Qatar Tourism Authority, we 

also aim to see Qatar grow as a tourism destination that attracts more 

tourists or travelling visitors who are golf lovers from all around the world. 

The Qatar Masters uses innovative marketing of the event by inviting 

celebrities to play in a pro-am and enjoy the event hospitality. How 

successful has this policy been in raising the profi le of the event in 

Qatar and abroad? 

Inviting famous celebrities who are golf enthusiasts to grace the 

Commercialbank Qatar Masters with their presence initially helped to 

attract not only local and international spectators but international media. 

� at’s certainly what we experienced and achieved last year. 

Do you aim to sell tickets for future Qatar Masters events? 

For the time being, we have no intention to charge guests or spectators to 

watch the 2009 Commercialbank Qatar Masters because we are still in the 

process of promoting the game and encouraging the growth of a golf culture 

in Qatar. In 2009, we expect to see record numbers through the gates at 

Doha Golf Club - up on the 16,000 which attended in 2008. 

How does showcasing the world’s best players in the Qatar Masters help 

the development of Qatar’s fl edgling golfers? 

� e Qatar national golf team consists of young players and being exposed to 

the world’s best professional golfers at Doha Golf Club can only benefi t their 

golfi ng education. � e special pre-tournament clinics also allow them to get 

hands-on advice from international golfers of the highest quality. Add in the 

fact that many of these youngsters compete in teams with the stars during 

the Commercialbank Qatar Masters Rolex Pro-Am - held at Doha Golf 

Club in championship conditions - you can see how these opportunities can 

improve the technical side of our national golfers. 

How is corporate sponsorship of golf in Qatar supporting grassroots 

development of golf? 

Companies and the corporate sector in Qatar play a great and much 

appreciated role as partners in all sports development in the country. Our 

event is lucky enough to be supported by the Commercialbank, which also 

helps promote the tournament to the international media. Qatargas has been 

another great supporter to many golf events, especially for the Qatar Golf 

Association junior development programme. 

How is the QGA developing the next generation of Qatari golfers and what 

are your hopes for producing a world-class player? 

We strive to conduct an extensive junior programme that includes training 

programmes for diff erent age categories, tournament schedules throughout 

the season, local and outside competitions, plus orders of merit and prizes. 

� e programme is free of charge for any native Qatari under 18 years of age. 

� ey’re welcome and, someday, maybe we can produce a world-class golfer. 

Q5.09 QATARSPORT 17

GREAT 

SCOTT 

AUSTRALIA’S NUMBER ONE GOLFER HAS A 

BRILLIANT RECORD AT THE COMMERCIALBANK 

QATAR MASTERS AND HAS SET HIS SIGHTS ON 

EVEN MORE SUCCESS IN 2009 


Whatever the outcome of this year’s Commercialbank 

Qatar Masters, Australia’s number one golfer Adam Scott 

will always reserve a special place in his heart for Doha’s 

prestigious European Tour event. 

For Scott, the tournament creates an instant feel-good 

factor based on his unique success at the Doha Golf Club. 

As a skinny 21-year-old, with just one European Tour win 

under his belt, he left a top-class fi eld trailing by six shots 

to claim his fi rst Qatar Masters trophy in 2002. 

� en, last year, having established himself among the 

world’s top ten players, he carded a blistering fi nal round 

61 to become the fi rst repeat winner of the tournament. 

In reclaiming the title with a three-shot victory, he beat 

off challenges from household names like Henrik Stenson, 

Sergio Garcia, Luke Donald, Paul Casey, Ian Poulter, Scott 

Verplank and Lee Westwood. 

His fi nal 20 under par score in 2008 matched the 

tournament record and sealed the Adelaide-born golfer’s 

affi nity with the Doha Golf Club course. But, on refl ection, 

it was his victory six years earlier - in only his second full 

year as a professional golfer on the European Tour - that

Adam Scott in 

confi dent mood 

at last year’s 

Commercialbank 

Qatar Masters 

means the most to this most naturally talented of golfers. 

“Winning � e Qatar Masters in 2002 was an important 

win for me,” Scott recalls. “It had been over a year since I 

had won my fi rst tournament and I had not been able to 

close a couple of tournaments out. So to win by a signifi cant 

margin in Qatar was huge for my confi dence.” 

Scott’s double in Doha also suggests there is something 

about the Doha Golf Course which brings out the best in 

him. “I really feel that the course at Doha is suited to my 

game,” Scott confi rms. “It’s a good driving golf course and 

fi ts my eye very well. It is similar in condition to many 

courses in Australia...a course playing fi rm and fast is 

always the best challenge and I’ve seen that at the Doha 

Golf Club.” 

Not that Scott is reliant on his long-hitting to win the 

game’s biggest prizes. � e slim frame from 2002 may have 

fi lled out to a more muscular physique, but Scott insists 

that it’s his greater ‘touch’ rather than greater power, which 

has helped him move up the world rankings. “� ere’s no 

doubt that my short game has developed the most since 

winning the Qatar Masters in 2002,” says Scott. “I was a 

young player in 02. My game has matured since then and 

a big part of that is the short game.” 

Since 2002, of course, Scott’s career has progressed on 

a steady upward curve. With seven wins on the PGA Tour, 

six wins on the European Tour and two wins on the Asia 

tour to date, Scott has hit the big time - and with his movie 

star looks, he is often talked of as a natural successor to the 

iconic Greg Norman in Australian golf. 

Having spent nearly the whole of 2006 and 2007 in the 

top ten of the world golf rankings - reaching a career high 

point of third in January 2007 - his win in Doha in 2008 

was quickly followed up by victory at the Byron Nelson 

Classic on the PGA Tour in America. 

From there, he failed to win again in 2008 - a year that 

was curtailed by injury. For this reason, Scott is eager to 

make up for lost time. “It will be really exciting for me to 

come back to Qatar in 09 and try and defend my title and 

go for three wins in Doha,” Scott said before the event. 

“Hopefully all the good feelings I have experienced there 

in the past will come back and I can produce something 

special. My goals are the same as every year...to win as 

many tournaments as I can.” 

Winning one of the four ‘Majors’ - the Masters, the US 

Open, � e Open Championship and the PGA 

Championship - will also be on Scott’s wish list. So far, his 

best fi nish at a Major was third at the 2006 PGA 

Championships, but his coach, the legendary Butch 

Harmon, believes he can do much better. “It’s time for 

him to show the world how good he is,” Harmon said 

before the US Masters in April last year. 

Harmon believes that Scott can challenge Tiger Woods 

at the top of the world game, and certainly another strong 

showing at the increasingly competitive Qatar Masters 

would be the ideal start of his 2009 campaign. 

“� e Qatar Masters as come a long way in a short space 

of time,” says Scott. “� e quality of players certainly helps 

but also it is known that all the events in the Middle East 

are run very well which makes it very enjoyable for the 

players to participate. 

“� e Qatar Masters is an important part of the Tour as 

it makes up the middle of the ‘Middle East Swing’ [the 

Abu Dhabi Championship, the Qatar Masters, and the 

Dubai Desert Classic]. � e quality of the fi eld makes it a 

must-play event for the European Tour.” 

On his hectic playing schedule, the globe-trotting 

Aussie may even get some time off to see the new sights of 

Qatar’s capital city. “Doha has certainly developed a lot 

since I fi rst came here in 2002,” says Scott. “I hope to get 

some time to look around again.” 


STAR 

IN QATAR 

THE QUALITY OF THE QATAR MASTERS 

FIELD MAKES IT A MUST-PLAY EVENT 

FOR THE EUROPEAN TOUR 

Q5.09 QATARSPORT 19

Billie Jean King 

oversees a coaching 

clinic for Qatari 

girls before the 

WTA Sony Ericsson 

Championships 

CHANGING TIMES 

QATAR’S INCLUSIVE SPORTS DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY HAS WON THE 

APPROVAL OF ONE OF THE WORLD’S GREATEST SPORTSWOMEN 

Women’s tennis legend Billie Jean King has praised 

Qatar’s eff orts to create a growing development culture for 

women’s sport in the Gulf. 

� e change in culture was seen in the enthusiasm of the 

young Qatari girls who took part in the coaching clinic 

run by the six-time Wimbledon champion before the 

WTA’s Sony Ericsson Championship in Doha. 

King, however, identifi ed more far-reaching changes in 

her new role as the fi rst Global Mentor for Gender 

Equality, part of an international programme set up by the 

WTA Tour and UNESCO (the United Nations 

Educational, Scientifi c and Cultural Organisation). 

“I was excited to make my fi rst trip to Qatar to see 

fi rsthand how equality is incorporated into other societies 

and cultures,” said King, who spent a week in the capital 

during the Championships. 

“In order to move forward….you fi rst have to recognise 

change is diffi cult and change takes time. And, we cannot 

create change without respect for one another. 

“After seeing things in Doha, I know we are headed in 

the right direction.” 

King emphasised that staging the Sony Ericsson 

Championships in Doha was an important 

milestone. “When young girls and women see the players 

playing, maybe it will inspire them in their own lives to 

think about things. But it also inspires both men and 

women to listen to each other, to see each other sometimes 

in a diff erent way.” 

King added, “Just seven years ago Doha was the fi rst 

Middle East city and Qatar the fi rst country in the region 


WOMEN 

IN SPORT 

to host a women’s professional tennis tournament. What is 

happening in Doha is not all that diff erent from how 

women’s professional tennis began in the United States… 

the spirit is there.” 

While King applauded the Qatar Olympic Committee’s 

investment in women’s sport through major events like the 

WTA Sony Ericsson Championship, the QOC’s innovative 

School Olympic Day programme is also playing a crucial 

role in taking sport to the grassroots. 

As QOC Secretary General Sheikh Saoud explains, the 

governing body is working hard to create a stronger base 

for women’s sport in Qatar. “We are using the Olympic 

Schools Day programme to educate parents about young 

girls taking sports seriously. It is not an easy process since 

parents in Qatar traditionally favour boys playing sports. 

However, we are changing that trend slowly.” 

Last year, 70 girls schools took part in the Schools 

Olympic Day programme and this year, after the inclusion 

of private and other English-speaking schools, the number 

has touched 110 schools. 

As a result, says Maryam Al Hemaidi, who has been in 

charge of the Schools Olympic Day for girls since the 

programme started, the events will be even more 

competitive in 2009. “Last year’s participants are 

determined to improve their performances while 

newcomers want to make an immediate impact,” she said. 

“� e overall quality of competitors has gone up. We’re 

progressing well. In a few years, we’ll have a strong base of 

female athletes in Qatar. We’ll co-ordinate with diff erent 

federations to further develop them.” 

Q5.09 QATARSPORT 21


THE 19TH 

GULF CUP 

THE 

GOLDEN 

GAMES 


QATAR SCORED A DOUBLE GOLD AT THE 19TH GULF 

CUP COMPETITION STAGED IN MUSCAT, OMAN 

Qatar’s volleyball and basketball teams left the shores 

of Oman with golden memories of the 19th Gulf 

Cup as Qatar produced its best ever performance in 

the history of the popular biennial tournament. 

Qatar’s spikers were fi rst to hit the gold medal trail 

when they fi nished ahead of the hosts, Oman, in the 

championship table by the narrowest of margins. � e 

Qataris fi nished with seven points from four matches, 

beating Oman to the title on set points diff erence. 

Qatar’s basketball team were next to clinch gold 

when they overwhelmed the hosts 87-47 in the fi nal 

to lift the Cup. 

� e Qatari hoopers won all their matches along 

the way, beating the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait 

and Bahrain. 

Briefl y, an incredible clean sweep of gold medals 

looked a possibility for Qatar’s Gulf Cup contingent 

as the young handball team recorded wins against 

Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, and drew with Oman. 

Meanwhile, Qatar’s footballers set the pulses racing 

with a last minute win over Yemen to claim a semifi 

nal place against Oman. 

Qatar’s astonishing run in the four Gulf Cup 

sports was fi nally halted when Bahrain beat the 

handball team and Oman scored a 1-0 win in the 

football competition to set up a fi nal against Saudi 

Arabia, which the hosts went on to win on penalties. 

For Qatar, however, the 19th Gulf Cup will be 

remembered as the Golden Games - two weeks of 

sporting drama that has also enhanced the 

international prestige of the Gulf’s premier team 

sports competition.

Opposite page: Qatar’s 

basketball (top) and 

volleyball teams 

celebrate gold at the 

Gulf Cup in Oman. 

Right and below: 

Qatar’s basketball, 

handball, football and 

volleyball teams rise 

to the occasion 

Q5.09 QATARSPORT 23

THE FUTURE 

AT THEIR FEET 

THE ASPIRE ACADEMY’S FOOTBALL PROGRAMME 

IS DEDICATED TO PRODUCING PLAYERS WHO 

CAN HELP THE QATAR NATIONAL TEAM TO 

QUALIFY FOR THE FIFA WORLD CUP. AND 

ACCORDING TO ACADEMY DIRECTOR MICHAEL 

BROWNE, THE SIGNS ARE LOOKING GOOD 

24 QatarSport Q5.09 

the future of Qatar’s national soccer team is safe in the 

hands - and at the feet - of a new generation of players 

schooled at the world-leading Aspire Academy. 

And according to Michael Browne, the highly 

experienced Englishman who heads the Aspire football 

programme, each successive group of graduates is becoming 

stronger and more technically adept. 

Browne, who has worked at Aspire since its opening in 

2004, was formerly Director of the Academy at London 

club Charlton Athletic where he helped develop players 

such as Jermaine Defoe and Scott Parker who have gone 

on to play for the England national team. 

Today his goal, and that of his colleagues at Aspire, is to 

produce players for the senior Qatar national team and for 

that team to qualify for the fi nals of the FIFA World Cup. 

Th at may seem a tall order for a nation which is generally 

ranked in the 80s in the offi cial FIFA listings. 

But as Browne refl ects on four years of progress, he is 

increasingly confi dent that the dream becomes more 

achievable every year. “When I started here my initial 

reaction was that it would be a huge struggle but after all 

this time my view has changed completely,” he said. 

“In every age group we have a number of very promising 

players and our job is to maximise their potential.” 

Th e Aspire Academy is one of the glittering jewels of 

sport in Qatar. Residential and classroom facilities are part 

of a campus of world-class facilities, many of which have 

been used to stage international events including the 2006 

Asian Games. Michael Browne believes that Aspire’s 

facilities are simply the best available and that the 

youngsters who embark on their football programme are 

in no doubt that they have every opportunity to succeed. 

Each year a group of up to 60 12-year-olds join the

Left: Michael Browne, head of 

the Aspire football programme 

leads a coaching team that 

has prepared Aspire students 

for youth matches against 

the likes of FC Basle, Ireland, 

Tottenham Hotspur and FC 

Kopenhagen (pictured right) 

programme, which lasts five years. At Aspire they receive 

not only the best football coaching available but a wideranging 

education, which draws, wherever possible, upon 

sport for example and inspiration. While some of the boys 

live at home with their families, others find it more 

convenient to board at Aspire, living football 24/7. 

But even before they are invited to join the Aspire 

programme, the boys have been watched for a number of 

years. Qatar has one of the world’s most comprehensive 

and technically advanced talent identification programmes 

across all sports but, says Browne, the observations of 

coaches were more important than hard data in the early 

days. “We start to identify boys around the ages of 9 and 

10-years-old and work with them in three groups of up to 

30 for a couple of years. Then, at the age of 12, around 60 

are selected for Aspire. Our aim at that stage is to keep 

them on the programme as long as possible although, 

inevitably, some will drop out along the way.” 

At Aspire the students enjoy a demanding yet clearly 

rewarding schedule, which involves early morning and 

afternoon training sessions (a total of three hours per day) 

built around a first-class academic regime. 

Morning training tends to be a low-intensity session 

which focuses on developing technical skills. In the 

afternoon the emphasis is on speed, agility and endurance 

work. “The staff works as a team to get the best out of the 

players at every stage,” he said. “Three times a year we will 

carry out rigorous physical testing so that we know exactly 

what areas we need to develop in every individual player. 

Every one of our players is also registered with a local club 

and is expected to play for their teams as well. 

“They are recognised as the best players in the country 

at their age group and know that while they are privileged 

they also have a responsibility in the way that they behave 

and live their lives.” 

Indeed, the Qatari youngsters coming through the 

system at Aspire have done much to radically alter the 

preconceptions of some observers. “There has tended to be 

a perception among some Westerners that the Qatari boys 

lack the discipline and the dedication required to become 

really good footballers. I’m delighted that our boys are 

proving that this is simply not true. They share a 

determination to make it as footballers,” Browne explained. 

“While in the early days we found that some of the 

youngsters didn’t deal with adversity particularly well, that 

has been addressed.” 

If Browne faces one largely insurmountable difficulty it 

is that the majority of the Qatari youngsters are smaller 

than their overseas counterpart in their early years at 

Aspire. The result is that when they play games against 

youth teams of an equivalent age from leading clubs from 

around the world, they are at a physical disadvantage. 

“As the years go by the physical gap becomes less 

pronounced and less of a factor in results,” says Browne. 

“As a result, our older teams are at least on a par with many 

of the top European clubs we have played.” 

And when you consider that list includes 

teams like Barcelona, Chelsea, Tottenham, 

Hotspur and Bayer Leverkusen, the scale of 

the achievement becomes clear. 

“Over the last year and a half in particular 

I have become convinced that what we are 

doing here is working,” said Browne. 

One of the reasons for that success is the 

catalytic role played by a small group of 

overseas students, who have joined the local 

players as a result of the Aspire Africa 

programme which aims to provide 

development opportunities for young players 

from African nations. At present there are 

seven African students in Doha, from Ghana, 

Cameroon, Senegal and Nigeria. 

“The African players are very dedicated 

and physically bigger at an early age. They 

have integrated well and have helped raise the 

overall level among the players,” said Browne. 

“At the end of their time here we will help 

then to develop their careers, whether in their 

homelands or elsewhere. They are certainly 

not expected to stay and play for Qatar.” 

Finding the next step from Aspire is an 

issue which plays on Michael Browne’s mind. 

The domestic Qatari League has only 10 

teams and many places are held by overseas 

players. And while they have naturally helped 

raise the standard of the league, their presence 

means that there are fewer first team places for 

emerging Qatari talent. 

“To continue their development our 

players need to be playing first team football 

and while in other countries they might be 

loaned out to lower league clubs for experience, 

that can’t happen here. 

“I think that rather than playing in reserve 

teams in Qatar it would be better for them to 

embrace the professional game by playing in 

Europe. And while they may not make it at 

clubs in the major markets, our best 18 yearold 

could certainly play in the second divisions 

of, for example, Belgium, Switzerland and 

Denmark. With that experience they can then 

go on to a higher level.” 

Browne is unequivocal as he reflects on his work at 

Aspire and expectations for the future. “As far as I can see 

there is nothing like Aspire anywhere else in the world and 

the quality of the facilities and the programme demonstrates 

how important it is for Qatar to develop local players. 

“I am confident that in the next five to 10 years we will 

have a stream of players which will give Qatar a chance of 

qualifying for the World Cup finals. That could be in 

2018, 2022…who knows? What is certain is that we are 

producing players who are better than ever before.” 


player 

development 

Q5.09 QatarSport 25


PICTURE 

PERFECT 

IN LITTLE MORE THAN FIVE YEARS THE AL JAZEERA SPORTS CHANNEL, 

BASED IN DOHA, HAS TRANSFORMED THE SPORTS BROADCAST 

ENVIRONMENT IN THE GULF REGION 

since it launched in 1996, the Qatar-based broadcaster 

Al Jazeera has achieved global prominence as the leading 

voice on news and current aff airs in the Gulf. 

At fi rst, Al Jazeera was known primarily for its news 

exclusives, but as the brand’s reputation has grown in the 

region and overseas, the broadcaster has launched a 

number of new channels including the Arabic-language Al 

Jazeera Sports channel. 

Of all its activities, Al Jazeera’s decision to 

launch a dedicated sports channel in 

November 2003 was perhaps the boldest 

given the intense competition for premium 

rights that already existed in the Middle 

Eastern cable and satellite market. 

But with strong fi nancial backing from the 

Emir Of Qatar, Al Jazeera Sports (AJS) was 

able to bid for fl agship sports rights almost 

immediately. Within a year of launch, it was beaming 

Euro 2004 and the Athens Summer Olympic Games to a 

potential 200 million viewers in 23 countries across the 

Middle East & North Africa. 

In terms of its choice of content, football has played a 

big part in the AJS success story. After securing Euro 2004, 

it went on to scoop up rights to a number of leading 

leagues including Italy’s Serie A, Spain’s La Liga, the 

Argentine League, the Portuguese Super Liga and 

the Dutch Eredivisie. Although it was unable to secure 

England’s Premier League, it countered this by adding 

domestic cup competitions such as the English FA Cup 

and the League (Carling) Cup. 

Most signifi cant perhaps has been the way AJS has built 

on its relationship with UEFA. Having secured 

Euro 2004 early in its business development, 

spring 2008 saw the broadcaster snap up the 

Middle Eastern and North African rights to 

Europe’s top knockout competitions - the UEFA 

Champions League and UEFA Cup. Also in the 

package was the UEFA Super Cup. 

UEFA Marketing Director Philippe Le Floc’h 

revealed that the governing body had received 

substantial off ers from several major media 

groups and broadcasters for the rights, but eventually 

signed with AJS, which beat off the challenge of rival 

PayTV platforms Orbit, Showtime and ART to win the 

prized European action. 

Th e rationale for making such a substantial commitment 

was clear, according to Al Jazeera Sports General Manager 

Ayman Jadah at the time of the deal last year. “Th is is a

Top: TV cameras 

capture the action 

at the 15th Asian 

Games Doha 2006. 

Right: Jewels of the 

Al Jazeera Sports 

Channel - the 

UEFA Champions 

League; the 

IAAF World 

Championships; 

and Formula One 

major development for us,” he explained. “Right now, we 

have about one million subscribers. And we are looking at 

reaching a figure of three million subscribers in the next 

two years.” 

AJS’ commitment to soccer hasn’t just been limited to 

European and South American competitions either. Last 

year it paid around $20m for the rights to the 2009 edition 

of the Gulf Cup - the tournament that captured the 

imagination of sports fans across the Gulf region this 

January. In addition to showing matches itself, AJS sublicenced 

games to other GCC-based channels wishing to 

cover the event. 

While soccer acts as the bedrock on the AJS offering, it 

isn’t the only high-profile sport in the broadcaster’s lineup. 

AJS has also aired prestigious events such as the 

Superbike World Championship and tennis’ French and 

Australian Opens. Recently, it also picked up the rights to 

motor racing circuit Formula One, as part of its strategy to 

become the Middle East’s home of televised motorsport. 

Aside from showing Superbikes, AJS airs the local Qatari 

leg of MotoGP and recently signed a deal to broadcast the 

FIA GT Championship. 

Like soccer, F1 plays a crucial role in establishing Al 

Jazeera’s credentials. But perhaps even more significant is 

AJS’s long-term commitment to athletics and multi-sport 

events. After Athens 2004, AJS played a key role in 

covering the 15th Asian Games Doha 2006, delivering the 

digital action across a bouquet of sports channels. 

Subsequently, it signed a deal to air a package of IAAF 

World Athletic Series events for the period from 2010 to 

2013, including the World Championships o Athletics 

and the World Indoor Championships - which will take 

place in Doha in 2010. 

Unveiling the deal, which will extend the TV rights 

relationship between AJS and the IAAF to a decade (2003- 

2013), IAAF President Lamine Diack talked of Al Jazeera’s 

key role in the promotion of sport in the region. “The 

2010 World Indoors in Doha, followed a year later by the 

World Championships in Korea, indicates the growing 

importance of Asia to the IAAF and the sport as a 

whole,” he said. “Therefore, it is only appropriate that a 

respected broadcaster such as Al Jazeera Sports should be 

closely coupled with a development that concerns its core 

home market in the Middle East.” 

Following on from its role during the Asian Games, 

Diack’s words are a reminder that Al Jazeera is not just an 

internationally-renowned brand - but one with a pivotal 

role to play in showcasing Qatar’s own sports market. 

In fact, when you add Al Jazeera’s coverage of the World 

Indoor Championships to a list that also includes the 

2006 Asian Games, the Losail leg of the MotoGP, the 

Qatari League, The Emir Cup, the Heir Apparent Cup 

and FIFA World Cup qualifying matches involving Qatar, 

it’s clear that the last decade has signalled the emergence of 

a Qatari institution. 


partnerS 

in sport 


Qatar international Endurance Championship 13th Qatar Championships 

2009 Fina World series 

Qatar MotoGP 

Qatar 7th international sailing Championship doha sailing Club 01/02/09 

13th international table tennis Championship Qatar Club 17/02/09 

7th GCC swimming Championship Hamad aquatic Centre 20/02/09 

18th international arabian Horse show Equestrian Federation 23/02/09 

accenture Matchplay Championship arizona, Usa 23/02/09 

superbike World Championship Phillip island, australia 01/03/09 

World Cup series for technical Gymnastics aspire Zone 02/03/09 

World Baseball Classic various 05/03/09 

indian Wells Masters indian Wells, Usa 09/03/09 

aFC Champions League Group stage various 11/03/09 

superbike World Championship Losail Circuit 14/03/09 

third under-12 and under-16 international squash Championship Khalifa Complex 14/03/09 

Qatar international Endurance Championship sea Line area 14/03/09 

arab Cycling Championship around Qatar 19/03/09 

2009 Fina World series Hamad aquatic Centre 21/03/09 

australian Formula One Grand Prix Melbourne 26/03/09 

the Grand national aintree, UK 04/04/09 

superbike World Championship valencia, spain 05/04/09 

the Masters augusta, Usa 09/04/09 

Qatar MotoGP Losail Circuit 12/04/09 

World snooker Championship sheffield, UK 18/04/09 

London Marathon London, UK 19/04/09 

Bahrain Formula One Grand Prix sakhir, Bahrain 26/04/09 

World table tennis Championships yokohama, Japan 28/04/09 

UEFa Cup Final istanbul, turkey 20/05/09 

EvEnts diary - InternatIonal and Qatar 


SURViVAL 

oF tHe 

FitteSt 

THE PHYSICAL DEMANDS 

IMPOSED ON TODAY’S 

PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALLERS 

HIGHLIGHT THE NEED FOR 

WORLD-CLASS ORTHOPAEDIC 

TREATMENT TO COUNTER 

CAREER-THREATENING INJURY 

30 QataRSPORt Q5.09 

Not many sports are as demanding on the body as 

football. Professional players suff er more injuries than 

those involved in any other sport, and are susceptible to 

many degrees of damage varying from stress injuries to 

bone fractures to fatigue. 

Th e scourge of the modern day footballer is the muscle 

injury. Lower limb damage, particularly to the legs and 

hamstrings, is commonplace on the post-match treatment 

table. For those footballers unlucky enough to require 

surgery, the most frequent injury requiring an operation 

comes in the form of a three-letter phrase that spells trouble 

for any footballer: the ACL (anterior cruciate ligament). 

Th e ACL knee injury - damage to the ligament

connecting the back of the femur to the front of the tibia - 

can sideline a footballer for up to a season. 

The injury has currently put out Chelsea and Ghana 

midfielder Michael Essien for the majority of the English 

Premier League season and has plagued many footballers 

over the world, including England forward Michael Owen. 

Football injuries, of course, are inevitable whatever the 

standard of play, but with today’s highly-paid professionals 

worth tens of millions of dollars to their clubs, the demand 

for top quality treatment has never been greater. 

This is one of the reasons why Qatar set up its own centre 

for the treatment of footballing and other sports-related 

injuries. Aspetar, Doha’s 50-bed sports hospital based on the 

Aspire Zone campus, is striving to set new standards in 

treatment, prevention and research to help improve player 

recovery and performance. It is also at the heart of Qatar’s 

Sports Medicine Care, which aims to provide leadership 

and guidance to high-performance athletes and raise 

community awareness of the practice of physical activity 

(see box). 

Eduardo Mauri, doctor to the Qatar national football 

team since June 2008 and sports medicine consultant at the 

hospital, is keen to emphasise the high levels of stress that 

footballers put their body through over the 90 minutes of 

play, which cannot be compared with athletes in any other 

sporting endeavour. 

“Tennis players can play every day,” Dr. Mauri told Qatar 

Sport. “In the Tour de France and the Giro d’Italia you see 

that they race every day. In football you cannot do that, the 

maximum possible for a player to play is two to three games 

a week but even so it takes at least two days to recover. After 

the match it is important that no specific work is done, just 

relaxation and stretching.” 

Dr. Mauri was a former-professional football player for 

the Spanish league’s Espanyol, the Barcelona–based club 

where he returned to work as first team doctor and later as 

head of medical staff, after completing his studies to become 

a sports physician. In June last year, he moved to Qatar to 

become a sports medicine consultant and doctor to the 

national side. 

The ACL operation, says Dr. Mauri, requires highly 

technical key-hole surgery as performed by his surgical 

colleagues at Aspetar and a vigorous physiotherapy 

programme that can take six-to-eight months for a footballer 

to get back to full fitness. 

Surgical techniques aside, the handling of a football 

injury is not as straightforward as a two-pronged process of 

treatment and rehabilitation. “An injury is down to a lot of 

factors,” Dr. Mauri is keen to add. “The most important 

factor is that one needs to be in good physical fitness. Once 

that is achieved, we can talk about eating and drinking. A 

teacher once told me ‘You don’t have to play to be fit, you 

have to be fit to play’. It’s a good philosophy.” 

Dr. Mauri operated on some of the world’s top footballers 

during his time at Espanyol. Included on the list of the stars 

who frequented his treatment table are Spanish internationals 

Iván De la Peña, Albert Reira, and Argentina defender Pablo 

Zabaleta. Both Reira and Zabaleta are now plying their 

trade in the English Premier League for Liverpool Football 

Club and Manchester City respectively. 

“I am proud to say I have taken care of the top players of 

the Qatar national team. But in my career, to say that I have 

looked after the knee of maybe the most important player in 

Spain is not fair because all the players I look after are VIPs. 

I treat all my patients like they are my children!” 

Mauri also believes Aspetar is well-placed to attract 

international football stars to have their treatment in Qatar. 

“I have been here since June and lots of people have been 

coming from around the Middle East. Qatar is in fashion at 

the moment. 

“The relationship between the doctors club and the 

physiotherapists is closer than elsewhere. We really work as 

a team: there is a lot of pressure and we are working on the 

limits. Everything is faster because for the national players 

everything is done in 24 hours.” 

ASPETAR: Mission and Objectives 

Qatar Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Hospital aims to 

provide leadership and guidance to high-performance 

athletes by: 

• Providing medical services and sports injury 

treatment in both clinical and field settings for all 

athletes 

• Conducting research into the physical condition of 

athletes 

• Co-ordinating the treatment of athletes with Qatari 

health institutions and specialist overseas centres 

• Familiarising athletes about the basic biology of the 

body, conditioning techniques, nutrition, and the 

medical aspects of injury prevention, treatment, and 

rehabilitation. 


HealtH & 

Society 

Mario Gomez of Vfb 

Stuttgart and Germany 

feels the pain of a 

knee injury during a 

Bundesliga match

WORLD SPORTS RANKINGS 

THE BEST OF THE BEST IN SPORT… AT A GLANCE 

Men’s Basketball - at 24/08/08 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8 

9 

10 

45 

45 

45 

45 

45 

World Golf - at 04/01/09 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8 

9 

10 

Argentina 

USA 

Spain 

Greece 

Serbia 

Lithuania 

Germany 

Italy 

Australia 

China 

-- 

Qatar 

Uruguay 

Mexico 

Panama 

Dominican Republic 

World Football - at 17/12/08 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8 

9 

10 

11 

11 

11 

14 

15 

16 

17 

18 

19 

20 

84 

84 

86 

86 

88 

88 

Spain 

Germany 

Netherlands 

Italy 

Brazil 

Argentina 

Croatia 

England 

Russia 

Turkey 

France 

Portugal 

Czech Republic 

Cameroon 

Ukraine 

Egypt 

Paraguay 

Israel 

Nigeria 

Greece 

-- 


Belarus 

Togo 

Algeria 

Gambia 

Panama 

Tiger Woods (USA) 

Sergio Garcia (ESP) 

Phil Mickelson (USA) 

Padraig Harrington (IRL) 

Vijay Singh (FJI) 

Robert Karlsson (SWE) 

Camilo Villegas (COL) 

Henrik Stenson (SWE) 

Ernie Els (ZAF) 

Lee Westwood (ENG) 

876.0 

832.2 

730.0 

499.0 

469.0 

411.0 

329.0 

308.0 

269.0 

262.7 

39.8 

36.0 

35.2 

34.6 

34.2 

1663 

1381 

1338 

1326 

1246 

1180 

1142 

1115 

1103 

1016 

1007 

1007 

1007 

989 

909 

894 

889 

877 

876 

872 

-- 

420 

420 

419 

419 

413 

413 

466.57 

415.59 

336.67 

348.43 

358.07 

265.91 

241.06 

238.42 

251.72 

251.62 

Men’s Volleyball - at 25/08/08 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8 

9 

10 

45 

45 

45 

45 

45 

Women’s Tennis - at 05/01/09 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8 

9 

10 

Brazil 

USA 

Russia 

Bulgaria 

Serbia 

Italy 

Poland 

Spain 

Puerto Rico 

China 

-- 

Ukraine 


Slovakia 

Algeria 

Uruguay 

Jelena Jankovic (SRB) 

JSerena Williams (USA) 

Dinara Safi na (RUS) 

Elena Dementieva (RUS) 

Ana Ivanovic (SRB) 

Venus Williams (USA) 

Vera Zvonareva (RUS)) 

Svetlana Kuznetsova 

Maria Sharapova (RUS) 

Agnieszka Radwanska (POL) 

313.0 

257.0 

255.5 

195.0 

145.5 

131.5 

129.5 

94.0 

91.5 

83.8 

9.8 

9.8 

9.8 

9.8 

9.8 

9200 

7732 

7554 

7196 

6912 

6544 

5754 

5450 

5030 

4472 

Men’s Tennis - at 12/01/09 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8 

9 

10 

From the top: Spain’s 

national soccer team; 

Argentina’s basketball 

team; and Brazil’s 

volleyball team 

Rafael Nadal (ESP) 

Roger Federer (SUI) 

Novak Djokovic (SRB) 

Andy Murray(GBR) 

Nikoly Dvaydenko (RUS) 

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA) 

Gilles Simon (FRA) 

Andy Roddick (USA) 

Juan Martin del Potro (AR) 

James Blake (USA) 

13160 

10700 

10590 

7190 

5300 

3995 

3960 

3940 

3890 

3550 

Q5.09 QATARSPORT 33

34 QatarSport Q5.09

Qatar Sport talks to MohaMMed Bin haMMaM, President of the 

asian footBall Confederation 

Mohammed Bin Hammam is President of the increasingly 

powerful Asian Football Confederation and one of the 

most influential administrators in world sport. 

He is one of a number of Qataris to hold key positions 

with world governing bodies. 

He oversees the development of football across a vast 

region which straddles not only time zones but myriad 

languages and cultures. 

Yet in a region, which has been at the forefront of 

global economic development for so long, professional 

football has faced many challenges, largely of organisation, 

management and commercialisation. 

Add to this the impact on development of the massive 

popularity of historic clubs from Spain, Italy and England 

which can be seen continuously on television and which 

have targeted Asia as a key area for commercial exploitation, 

and you begin to have a picture of the challenge faced by 

Bin Hammam and his team. 

In many respects the joint-hosting of the 2002 

FIFA World Cup by Korea and Japan, the traditional 

powerhouses of football in Asia, may come to be seen as 

a turning point. 

Both teams exceeded expectations in the tournament 

with Korea reaching the semi-final, something which 

would have been unimaginable just a decade earlier. 

The success of the tournament demonstrated to the 

wider world that football has a home in Asia and those 

Asian players and teams are a force to be reckoned with. 

Since then, a number of ‘star’ players from Japan and 

Korea have joined significant European clubs, including 

the current European and World Club Champions 

Manchester United. 

Mohammed Bin Hammam is, in many respects, the 

very model of a modern sports administrator. He helped 

to lay the foundation for the growth of football in Qatar 

by emphasising the need to develop the game at different 

age levels. This led to Qatar’s younger teams consistently 

claiming honours in Asian football and also qualifying for 

FIFA’s under-17 and under-20 tournaments. 

He was President of Al Rayyan Sports Club (seven-time 

winners of the Qatar Premier League during his Presidency) 

and President of the Qatar Football Association between 

1992 and 1996. 

He is extremely active within and on behalf of FIFA 

as a member of its Executive Committee, Chairman of 

the FIFA GOAL Project and a member of the Finance 

Committee Bureau. 

Qatar Sport caught up with Mohammed Bin Hammam 

and asked him for his views on the key issues facing 

football in his territory. 

How do you assess the health of football in Asia today at 

international, club and grassroots level? 

In terms of international football, Asia is still lagging 

behind the other confederations as far as the standard is 

concerned, especially behind the big nations in Europe 

and South America. But we are happy with the progress 

and it will not be long before the gap is reduced. 

At club level we have to admit that our focus so far 

has been on amateur football. But from this year we have 

created a strong base for professional football through our 

revamped AFC Champions League with stringent criteria 

for the participants. So some of our Member Associations 

and their clubs will have a commercial base. Besides, we 

have a wide base of amateur clubs. When it comes to 

amateur football and infrastructure, we are No 1 among 

the other confederations. The AFC has developed an 

intensive grassroots programme for Asian players, clubs, 

coaches, referees, et al and our programmes are on par 

with the best in the world. All our Member Associations 

are making efforts to meet the criteria set by the AFC in 

grassroots football and development. 

The Gulf States have become particularly active in 

recent years. How do you assess the development 

programmes in nations such as your home country of 

Qatar where great efforts are being made to develop a 

domestic league by importing top overseas talent? 

The development of football in the Gulf states started 

around 40 years back with the creation of the Gulf Cup, 

which was the first national teams competition in that 

region. From that point, the governments started building 

the infrastructure and now stadiums of an international 

standard are a common sight in the Gulf. Besides, a lot 

of experienced coaches from Europe and Brazil have been 

involved with Gulf teams, and, of course, the professional 

players. The standard of football and infrastructure in the 

Gulf is one of the highest in Asia. I hope the introduction 

of professionalism will boost administration. 

How has the acceptance of Australia as a member of the 

AFC impacted on the Confederation? 

Australia’s inclusion has raised the level playing field 

perceptibly and reshaped the image of AFC tournaments. 

They have had a major impact on all our major age group 

tournaments and this has spurred the traditional Asian 

powers into improving. Australia has joined Japan, the 

Korea Republic, and Saudi Arabia as the elite countries in 

Asia. It has opened a market for us to recruit professional 

players, coaches and referees. The professionalism in 

Australia is very advanced. I’m very happy with the impact 

the big interview 


Above: � e Bin 

Hammam years 

(clockwise): Korea 

reach the semi-fi nals of 

the 2002 World Cup, 

jointly hosted by Japan 

and Korea; Australia 

joins the Asian Football 

Confederation; Iraq 

lifts the 2007 Asian 

Cup; AFC Champions 

League winners Gamba 

Osaka clinch third place 

at the 2008 FIFA Club 

World Cup 


and it means that TV, sponsors and so on are open for our 

competitions. We’ll have more sponsors from Australia so 

it is positive. 

Overall, what do you see as the major challenges facing 

football in Asia today? 

Th ere are several challenges. Th e size of Asia is a big 

challenge. Developing football across such a huge region, 

which stretches from Guam in the East to Palestine in 

the West, across several time zones, is a gigantic task. Th e 

level of football varies from one Asian country to another, 

and so do their economies. Th e AFC has categorised its 

46 Member Associations according to their standards 

of football, which helps in organising diff erent levels of 

competitions where teams with the same playing capacity 

can compete. Our development programmes are also 

custom made. 

There are now many Asian players in the major European 

Leagues. How is this benefi cial to the development of 

football across Asia? 

Th ere is no doubt that the major European leagues are 

superior to the Asian leagues. So when our players go and 

play there - which we are proud of - they learn new tactics 

and skills, and bring all these back to the national team. 

Th e transfer of knowledge is tremendous. But we hope that 

with the professional development of our leagues, talented 

players from diff erent countries in Asia and, indeed, from 

around the world, will be attracted to our leagues. 

As the major European leagues and clubs look to build 

brand awareness and market share to bolster their 

global revenues, are they damaging the development 

of domestic leagues elsewhere in the world? 

Concerning Asia, the local sponsors and television 

companies themselves are not interested in the local 

leagues. We would like them to focus on their own leagues, 

their local talent. But this is not happening currently. 

FIFA no longer appears to be wedded to its ‘rotation 

policy’ for World Cup hosting. Is this fair and when 

should we next realistically expect to see a World Cup 

staged in Asia...and where? 

FIFA’s policy of World Cup rotation was based on giving 

it (hosting rights) to Africa which will happen in 2010. So 

we can go back to the old system where there are several 

bids from the diff erent countries. Th is creates competition 

and is good for the World Cup and its image. I hope Asia 

will host the World Cup in 2018 or 2022. And our priority 

as the AFC Executive Committee is to work hard to 

achieve this goal. Which (Asian) country (hosts it) doesn’t 

matter as long as Asia gets it. But ideally we would like to 

see one bid. 

Looking to the future, what are your hopes and 

ambitions for football in Asia? 

I am ambitious but realistic. Right now, we are nowhere 

near the other major footballing continents. It will take 

Asia a long time to reach those levels. And, in order to get 

there, hard work, planning and determination is required. 

I am hopeful of Asian football claiming its rightful place 

in the future. 

On a personal note, does football still excite you as a 

fan of the game? 

Of course, it does. I might be the President of AFC but at 

heart I am a simple football fan. Th e game will never stop 

to fascinate me. 

Korea has reached the semi-fi nals and Japan has been 

a threat...but when can we expect a country from the 

AFC win the World Cup? 

I would love to say 2010 but that would be way too 

optimistic. I will be pleasantly surprised. What matters is 

that Asian teams play entertaining football which makes 

people sit up and take notice. 

Similarly, can we expect to see the AFC champion club 

one day win the FIFA World Club tournament? 

Th e performance of the AFC Champions League winners 

has improved in the FIFA Club World Cup over the years. 

Th is year, Gamba Osaka fi nished third, and there is no 

reason why the world club champions cannot come from 

Asia in the future. After all, we have a brand new AFC 

Champions League this season, featuring only the very 

best teams of Asia.

NEWS - Qatar Olympic Committee

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