Qatar: promoting sports as a pillar of the nation

euronews (in English)

Sports is a key element of Qatar’s National vision 2030. In addition to the National Sports Day, the country is keen to develop a great variety of sports from boxing to fencing.

Transcript

00:00 (shushing)

00:02 - Boxing, it make you strong and happy

00:05 and defending woman and independent woman

00:07 and you can feel yourself that when you playing

00:10 in the ground that you are different.

00:12 - This competition means international exposure.

00:15 They can see champions in action,

00:17 they can play with them and this is really,

00:20 really important for us.

00:21 - Hello and welcome to Qatar 365.

00:27 I'm Laila Humaira and on this episode,

00:30 we explore how sports is a major pillar

00:33 in Qatar's national vision 2030.

00:36 From encouraging an active lifestyle

00:38 to shaping future Olympians,

00:40 we'll look at how the country is fueling

00:42 the competitive spirit in locals and residents alike.

00:46 And what better way to do that

00:48 than a whole day dedicated to sports.

00:51 Adel Halim took a lap around all the festivities.

00:55 - Down, yup, sweep.

00:57 Come to the mount, good.

01:02 - Saif Al-Mohannadi is learning how

01:06 to stay safe through jujitsu.

01:08 The 14 year old likes the fact that size doesn't matter

01:12 when it comes to self-defense.

01:13 - It doesn't mean that someone is bigger than you

01:17 or larger than you or heavier than you,

01:19 he's gonna win like when you fight or something.

01:22 Like my coach, I tried on him,

01:25 he's a lot bigger, he's got muscles, he has everything.

01:28 He's a lot bigger and I can still like sometimes win

01:32 because it's all about technique.

01:33 - Saif is one of 10,000 attendees participating

01:36 in national sport day events organized by Qatar Foundation.

01:41 - The country really has a vision

01:43 and a priority around sports.

01:44 I think we've always seen that

01:47 from hosting major sporting events,

01:48 but also by creating a special national day just for sports.

01:52 That's not something you really see

01:54 in any other parts of the world.

01:55 So it's quite clear that leadership of this country

01:58 and the sort of vision of this country

01:59 is really focused on sports.

02:01 And that has threaded through from grassroots to elite.

02:05 - Speaking of elite, Olympian Ibtihaj Mohamed

02:08 and tennis player, Anz Jabbour were invited to inspire

02:12 by showing sports can be a safe space for all.

02:16 - What we've found is that role models are crucial

02:18 and representation is crucial.

02:20 So what we've tried to do is engage amazing ambassadors

02:23 from all over the world,

02:24 but also here within Qatar to really play that role

02:27 and show that no matter who you are,

02:30 you can participate in sport and be physically active.

02:32 Another thing that we're trying to do with our ambassadors

02:36 is really create role models for our women's sports academy,

02:39 which we're developing over the next few years,

02:41 which is really to identify young girls in particular

02:45 who have high potential in various sports.

02:47 So Ibtihaj Mohamed and Anz Jabbour,

02:49 amazing women like that are really playing a crucial role

02:52 in developing that program with us

02:54 and playing that role model component that we talked about.

02:57 - Here in Education City, Qatar Foundation has planned

03:00 a full day of activities for the entire family,

03:03 including several ability-friendly programs.

03:06 Also this year, there's a special focus on sports activities

03:08 for women and girls, exploring the different ways

03:11 of having a healthy lifestyle.

03:12 - Leen Khatib Abdullah plays football at school,

03:17 but wanted to try her hand at archery.

03:19 National Sport Day means a lot to the 11-year-old.

03:23 - It makes me feel proud of myself

03:24 because when I was young, I used to only want to be

03:27 a ballerina, but when I grow,

03:30 it's more, I'm more looking forward to sports.

03:33 - Across the city, Expo 2023 Doha

03:35 hosted its first National Sports Day

03:38 with more than 230 activations sprawled

03:41 across more than 7 million square meters at Al Bida Park.

03:45 - The Sports Day is above just being active.

03:48 It's to send a message to the whole society,

03:51 to the community, to engage with all of the,

03:55 let's say the families, the governmental entities

03:57 will come together to celebrate a well-known celebration,

04:01 which is the Sport Day.

04:02 - For Mujahid Mohammed, who's played high-level football,

04:06 just getting families together to enjoy a day in the park

04:09 is the most important part of the day.

04:13 - That's a powerful sport, as we say.

04:14 The sports usually play as a major role

04:16 in different aspects to bring people together.

04:19 - If there's one sure way to burn off some steam

04:25 and sweat it out, it's boxing.

04:28 The combat sport first debuted at the Olympics in 1904,

04:32 but the women's category was only added in 2012.

04:35 Since then, it's been the pursuit of one woman

04:38 to fly the flag for Qatar

04:40 on the world's most prestigious boxing ring.

04:43 I got gloved up here at ORX Boxing with Afaf Al-Khorani,

04:47 the first female boxer in the Qatari national team

04:50 to understand how the sport has grown in the region

04:53 in popularity and diversity.

04:56 Afaf, thank you so much for being with us today.

05:06 Firstly, can you tell us, how did you first get into boxing?

05:10 - When I was so young, I was a very naughty girl.

05:13 I was so hyper, and we used to watch a lot of wrestling

05:17 on the TV, so that's one of the reasons

05:19 make me love boxing.

05:21 And I used to obsess on Muhammad Ali Khalid

05:24 and Prince Nassim.

05:25 It was my idols.

05:27 - And let's talk about your career as a boxer here in Qatar.

05:30 There were challenges initially

05:32 when you wanted to be a boxer in the national team.

05:34 How did you overcome those challenges?

05:37 - And the first time, there was an accepting federation,

05:39 a woman playing in boxing.

05:41 It wasn't accepting any kind of lady

05:46 playing martial arts or boxing.

05:48 So I just make a presenting for them.

05:50 I do workshops in the school.

05:52 I do workshops in the government school

05:55 to educate the ladies.

05:57 Finally, after two years,

05:58 they accept to give us permission to play.

06:01 So that's the reason it's make me the Qatar Federation.

06:05 They give me a chance.

06:06 It was a good chance for me to open for me the door

06:09 for the new generation to be in the boxing.

06:11 - And today you're not only a coach,

06:14 but you have your own boxing academy.

06:16 How has that been like for you?

06:18 - First time when we start in our academy

06:21 in Oman in Muscat,

06:22 it was a little bit difficult for me.

06:24 It was the mental.

06:26 It wasn't the physically.

06:27 Physically, it's very easy,

06:28 but the hard thing, it was the mental,

06:30 how to change them,

06:31 how to give them a new muscles memory

06:34 to show them this boxing to make you strong and hard.

06:38 So that was the hard thing to send to my students

06:43 before the physically, mentally,

06:45 how to be independent and strong mind before muscles.

06:50 - And finally, how would you like to see boxing

06:53 grow further in Qatar?

06:55 - In 2020, 2030, there will be Asian game here.

06:58 So this is the first time Qatar play for national team

07:02 for ladies in boxing.

07:04 And I reached my target.

07:05 That was my target.

07:06 I'm the first lady knock the door

07:08 to tell them open for the lady.

07:10 And I get my dream.

07:11 And I hope my students in the future,

07:14 they will be also including to play in boxing.

07:17 - There's just a little over a hundred days left

07:22 until the start of the biggest international sporting event

07:25 of the year, the Paris Olympic Games.

07:28 As team Qatar prepares to go for glory,

07:30 we zoom in on one Olympic sport

07:32 that's growing in popularity here,

07:34 getting kids as young as eight to be on guard

07:37 and quick on their feet.

07:39 Meet Yannick Borel.

07:43 The French fencer is an Olympic gold medalist,

07:46 three-time Olympian and four-time European champion.

07:51 That makes him one of the most decorated fencers here

07:54 at the fencing Grand Prix Qatar.

07:56 But even for an Olympic champion,

07:59 fencing is a tricky sport to master.

08:01 - Fencing is a complicated sport.

08:03 It's like chess with a weapon.

08:07 So you have to be really smart.

08:09 You have to be physical, tactical and technical.

08:13 So you have to be complete.

08:16 When you find that really early, it's good for you.

08:19 But sometimes you need time.

08:21 - And with time comes experience.

08:24 That's what Qatar is trying to build for its young fencers,

08:27 some of whom are competing on the global stage

08:30 for the first time.

08:31 - This competition means international exposure.

08:34 They are of course not competitive yet,

08:37 but they can get the benefit.

08:40 They can see champions in action.

08:42 They can play with them.

08:44 And this is really, really important for us.

08:46 - Competitions like the Grand Prix Qatar

08:48 give athletes a chance to put their skills to the test,

08:51 see how far they can stay calm under pressure

08:54 and experience the joy or heartbreak of winning and losing.

08:58 It's also one of the last major tournaments

09:00 in the fencing world

09:02 before all the focus turns to the Olympics.

09:04 It promises to be a special summer games for Yannick,

09:08 who hopes to be crowned champion once again,

09:11 this time on home soil in Paris.

09:14 - My goal is not to qualify.

09:16 My goal is to be Olympic medalist

09:18 or gold Olympic medalist.

09:20 That's my mindset.

09:21 - It's the mentality Clermont Sports

09:23 also wants to build in its fencers.

09:26 Christophe Clermont set up his academy 10 years ago

09:29 in the hopes of creating a diverse fencing community.

09:33 Other than improving their fencing skills,

09:37 Maître Clermont, as his students call him,

09:39 also hopes he can build good characters

09:42 and sportsmanship in them.

09:44 - We want to make them be a good person.

09:46 And the sport and the high elite sport

09:49 is something coming on the top.

09:50 It's not for everybody,

09:52 but at least we want that the people they wish to do that,

09:55 then we give them the opportunity to do so.

09:57 - Parents send their children,

09:59 some as young as eight,

10:00 to start learning to be agile in movement and mind.

10:04 Others are even representing their countries

10:07 on the international stage.

10:09 - My name is Sasha.

10:10 I'm from Lebanon.

10:11 I've been playing fencing for about seven years now.

10:16 I entered the Lebanese national team last summer.

10:20 - Within the pool of fencers at Clermont Sports,

10:24 Maître Clermont has built a system

10:26 to ensure that his students

10:28 get to practice dueling with people

10:30 from all nationalities, levels, and backgrounds.

10:34 - From the 13 years old,

10:35 we regroup everybody from the three centers

10:38 and we have four different kind of competition format

10:43 that we train them like that.

10:44 It's working very well.

10:45 That's why everybody is going through two trainings per week.

10:49 One training is more dedicated for the technique

10:52 and the Saturday is dedicated for the competition minds,

10:56 learning how to perform, how to win,

10:58 imposing the system.

11:01 - All the groundwork at the Qatar Fencing Federation

11:04 and the academies is set to culminate

11:07 at the 2030 Asian Games.

11:09 And as someone who knows exactly what it's like

11:13 to win at the Olympics,

11:15 Yannick has a few words of wisdom.

11:18 - Don't believe in chance, in luck.

11:24 Believe in work, hard work, consistency,

11:27 and believe in yourself.

11:30 It's really important.

11:31 - It's clear that for Qatar,

11:37 all roads lead to the Paris Olympics for now,

11:39 but beyond that, the country is also heavily investing

11:43 in sporting stars of the future.

11:45 We hope you've enjoyed this episode,

11:47 but that's all the time we have for now.

11:49 For more, check out euronews.com

11:51 and connect with us through our hashtag.

11:53 Thanks for watching and we'll see you next time

11:55 on Qatar 365.

11:56 (upbeat music)

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