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September 20, 2024
Doha-based nonprofit, Qatar Foundation (QF) has launched a new program to develop sporting talent among Qatari girls. Celebrated Dutch long-distance runner, World Champion and Olympian Sifan Hassan, who won a gold and two bronze medals at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, helped launched the initiative for which she serves as an ambassador.
The Creating Pathways Program is part of QF’s FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 legacy plans and aims to encourage girls aged 12-16 to play sports, highlighting the importance of exercise, nutrition and overall wellbeing. Athletics is the first of five elite women’s sports to be launched in the region and is led by Olympic medalist Elizabeth McColgan – a former runner who now serves as Director of Athletics at QF. The Women’s Track and Field Program is rolling out this month through this new pathway.
Initially targeting high-potential Qatari girls who are already in the sporting space, the program will later expand to after-school and community-based sports initiatives for all young women. Sessions will be led by local mentors and trained coaches with support from local role models and athletes, reflecting the country’s vision to build a society where sports play a central role in ensuring a high-quality life.
“As a refugee, I have been in difficult situations, but running helped me conquer my fear. Because of running, I am not afraid to fail, not afraid to take up challenges and not afraid to make mistakes. And that is what I would like to pass on to the young girls in Qatar and the region. Girls everywhere hold a lot of promise. They just need some encouragement to believe in themselves and that is what I will help them do,” said Hassan who immigrated to the Netherlands from Ethiopia as a refugee when she was 15. She has won six Olympic medals and was praised for wearing a hijab on the podium in Paris following France’s ban on headscarves in the competition.
Based on research developed by QF, there is a growing demand for women’s sports in the country. QF is spearheading a national strategy to increase the participation of women and girls in sports by providing greater access to gender-sensitive and safe spaces. The Creating Pathways Program – in collaboration with Qatar Olympic Committee – is the precursor to QF creating a Women’s Sports Academy, which will launch in 2026/2027. The Academy will be based at the FIFA venue now called Education City Stadium and will be a sporting hub for women and girls.
Alexandra Chalat, Executive Director of Partnerships and Strategic Alignment, QF, said: “At Qatar Foundation, we promote and enable involvement in sports through the provision of accessible sporting opportunities to everyone, with our programs reflecting different needs and cultural considerations. QF is harnessing the post-FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 excitement to offer more opportunities for women and girls to engage in physical activity, contributing to the legacy vision of a healthier nation.”
Photos: QF
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