Qatar is committed to sustainable development of sports and all activities connected to it to leave a lasting legacy for generations to come, Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) secretary general Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman al-Thani said to Qatar News Agency (QNA) during the 9th World Conference on Sport and Environment (WSCE), Sheikh Saud said, “Qatar is vigorously pursuing a policy of sustainable development at all levels. This conference reaffirms the country’s commitment to his goal which is enshrined in Qatar National Vision 2030.”
The QOC Secretary General said, under the wise leadership of the country, all sports development programmes of the QOC and its federations will engage in sustainable initiatives.
He reiterated Qatar’s successful bid to win the rights to host the FIFA World Cup 2022 was based on a unique compact football tournament that would be environment-friendly and with minimal carbon footprint.
Qatar is gaining prominence not only at the regional level but all over the sports world with its sports initiatives which has seen it bag the rights to host the World Handball Championships in 2015 besides the FIFA World Cup.
Last year Qatar successfully organised 24 major sports events and hosted sports teams and official delegations from the GCC, the Middle East and other countries of the world.
In consonance with the Qatar’s sports promotion ideals, Doha is hosting on May 6 the second Samsung Diamond League featuring the world’s top men and women athletes.
This League is the world’s premier series of 14 international invitational track and field meetings which take place from May to September across Asia, Europe, the Middle East and the US.
“Infrastructure development has left a lasting legacy in Qatar and will continue to be a key driver of all fundamental indicators in the build up to achieving Qatar National Vision 2030, the vision of HH the Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani to develop a truly sustainable and energy-independent economy, Sheikh Saoud wrote in the QOC magazine on display in its pavilion at the WSCE exhibition.
Earlier in the morning, Sheikh Saoud and members of the WSCE Local Organising Committee accompanied International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Jacques Rogge on tour of the exhibition featuring sports, technology and environment initiatives.
“The IOC aims to take in hand environmental stewardship - by leading its partners in the collaborative efforts for a sustainable development, and in particular respect for the environment,” wrote Rogge
in his validation of the conference.
Sheikh Saud, who is also the president of GCC Sport and Environment Commission, will speak on the topic ‘QOC Code for Green Sport Venues: A Local Standard Worthy of Global Sharing’.
