QOC
The Qatar Olympic Committee will be hosting the 2nd edition of the Flag Relay on Thursday, 13th of December to share pride, unity and inspiration through Team Qatar in celebration of this year's Qatar National Day (QND).
Current and retired athletes, schoolchildren, members from different communities and the general public will have the opportunity to carry the Qatari flag across the country's iconic landmarks, transporting it via a wide-range of sporting activities and culminating in a grand finale at Aspire Zone.
In celebration of last year's QND the Flag Relay covered almost 250km across Qatar and involved over 600 participants who represented the depth and diversity of Qatar's sporting success, being the longest ever one-country flag relay in the history of sport. Building on the successes from 2017, this year's edition will involve more participants from the community and will cover a bigger distance of approximately 380km.
The Flag Relay will kick-off on the morning of 13th December southern Doha before travelling up north to take the flag through key landmarks across the country before completing its route in the evening where the flag will be raised in Aspire Zone.
Flag-bearers will transport the flag via multiple different sporting activities, including cycling, running, sailing, rowing, swimming, and flying reflecting the strength and depth of Team Qatar's athletes.
This year's Flag Relay edition aims to demonstrate what it means to be #IAmQatar; the campaign that was launched to encourage the nation to come together and support Team Qatar at the Asian Games Jakarta-Palembang 2018.
QOC aims to bring different communities together in and outside of Qatar to celebrate the pride for Team Qatar's performances in 2018. Qatar won 13 medals at the Asian Games, while Paralympian Sarah Masoud won silver for Qatar at the Asian Para Games. In addition, two Youth Olympic gold medals were brought home from the Buenos Aires Summer Youth Olympic Games. Fares Ibrahim defended his World Junior Champion title in weightlifting and won silver at the World Championships, while the national handball team won their third Asian Men's Handball Championship title.
Significant number of community members, government and non organizations, athletes and flag ambassadors shall share the prestigious alongside in festive sport scene.