Al Thawadi: Qatar 2022 will be the most influential sporting event of the modern age
The Supreme Committee Secretary General said 2022 Qatar will leave a lasting mark both inside and outside of the country thanks to its legacy programmes.
Under the title: An introduction to Sports Diplomacy: From Concept to Practice, a virtual workshop addressed the issue of providing a platform for sharing a global perspective on using the power of sport to advance national goals. Those who contributed to the event included politicians, diplomats and well-known figures from the world football community.
Supreme Committee ambassador Tim Cahill took part in the workshop which was organised by the Josoor Institute and Generation Amazing, in collaboration with the UNESCO Office for the Gulf States.
Hassan Al Thawadi, Secretary General of the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, explained that the lasting legacy of the 2022 Qatar World Cup will be its ability to draw communities together. “Fostering dialogue on utilising sport’s power to do good is an important part of delivering Qatar’s wider vision. We want to deepen understanding and share knowledge and best practices while using global collaboration to maximise the power of sport to improve lives of individuals and communities,” he said.
“We can guarantee that 2022 Qatar will leave a lasting mark both inside and outside of Qatar thanks to legacy programmes such as Generation Amazing, which relies on sports far-reaching popularity of as well as its power to bring about sustainable change within communities, as well as Josoor Institute, which will help in sharing the knowledge acquired by Qatar 2022 with future generations,” Al Thawadi added.
Sport, a tool which can bring communities together
Meanwhile Dr. Hamad bin Abdulaziz Al-Kuwari, the Minister of State and President of Qatar National Library, added: “Qatar presents a unique model of cultural diplomacy, one that has transformed sport into an ideal means for rapprochement between nations. Our strides in big sporting events coincide with achievements in strengthening the country’s image and role as advocates of peace and respect for other cultures and their creative diversity – sport truly underlines and adds value to this message”.
Gabriela Ramos, UNESCO’s Assistant Director General for Social and Human Sciences added: “There is a responsibility to put sport higher on the agenda and invest in sport not only as a tool for bringing societies closer but also as a tool for recovery. Massive fiscal packages should also invest in sports facilities, the athletes, coaches and the systems for the promotion of sport and diplomacy. At the same time, sport should be an antidote for the current pandemic of hate speech and discrimination”.