QOC
With attendance of HE Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani, the President of Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) the inaugural Arab German Sport Summit got underway in German's capital city of Berlin on Thursday.
Senior sport officials and personalities from different sectors attended the opening ceremony of the event, including HE Dr. Peter Ramsauer, former German's Transportation Minister , Chairman of the Committee on Economic Cooperation and Development and President of Arab-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Dr. Thomas Bach, President of International Olympic Committee (IOC), HE Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Qatar's Ambassador to Germany and HE Sheikh Khalifa bin Jassim, President of Qatar Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
The QOC President HE Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani gave a speech where he welcomed the attendees and stressed the importance of holding this summit and said “A unique opportunity is upon us as some of the world's leading minds in the sports industry come together over the next two days to exchange ideas, gain from each other's experiences and learn about potential areas of collaboration."
“Qatar and Germany share a firm and solid common belief in the importance of sport as a key pillar of a healthy and prosperous society, and its power to foster positive change, transform and shape lives, and inspire the next generations."
“To make these events a reality, we invested time, effort, creativity and financial resources to build top-class facilities. We opened the Anti-Doping Lab Qatar in 2008 as the only anti-doping lab in the region. Aspetar - a world-leading sports medicine hospital, is at the forefront of medical research and treats elite athletes from all over the world. Qatar Olympic Academy is the first professional sport educational academy in (MENA) region and is breaking new grounds by focusing on Arabic speaking markets, helping to train and educate sports administrators, officials, and coaches from across the region."
“Hosting major sporting events and building the world-class infrastructure to accommodate them provide employment, business, tourism and investment opportunities, and increase the skills and knowledge of our people."
“More young girls than ever are taking up sports and benefiting from the outstanding facilities and coaching staff at their disposal. A new generation of promising female athletes is arising to represent Qatar in international competitions."
“We will continue to strive for excellence and success in sport as one of the cornerstones of Qatar's National Vision 2030. Qatar aims to be a country capable of sustaining its own development and providing a high standard of living for its people and generations to come. And sport is central to achieving this vision."
“Forming strong international partnerships is crucial to sport. It shares knowledge among stakeholders, delivers successful major events, helps in working together towards a positive future for global sport and promotes sports fraternity."