Qatar Olympic Committee pledges ongoing support for refugees through sports, reaffirming commitment to International Day of Sport for Development and Peace.
The Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) pledged ongoing support for refugees worldwide through sports, reaffirming its commitment to the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace (IDSDP).
The United Nations General Assembly spearheaded the IDSDP by passing Resolution (A/RES/67/296) in September 2013. The resolution encourages all member states, especially members of the UN’s Office on Sport for Development and Peace, to “observe and raise awareness” of the annual event held on April 6.
This year, the global theme was ‘Sport for the Promotion of Peaceful and Inclusive Societies.’
As a member of the Sport for Refugees Coalition, the QOC reflected on previous efforts of fostering greater inclusion of refugee communities in the sports world. Qatar’s sporting stars also participated in the annual event.
White card challenge
Qatar’s sporting stars marked the occasion by participating in the White Card challenge.
As part of the IDSDP, athletes from all over the world use their influential platforms to promote peace and inclusion in their societies by sharing a photograph of themselves raising a white card.
Qatar’s ‘falcon,’ Mutaz Barsham, the nation’s handball star, Youssef bin Ali, Qatar’s skeet shooter, Reem Al Sharshani, team Qatar’s athletics star, Abderrahman Samba and fencing star, Ali Al Athbah, each participated in this noble challenge.
‘Commitment to do more’
Last year, the QOC became a signatory of the Joint Sport Pledge on Inclusion and Protection of Refugees.
As a signatory of the pledge, which was announced at the 2023 Global Refugee Forum in Geneva, the QOC committed to utilising policy that delivers access to safe sports as well as promoting and providing opportunities for enhanced skills and pathways in and through sport. The pledge also means that the QOC will strengthen partnerships and coordination efforts to see this goal to fruition.
For Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani: “by signing the Sport Pledge we are joining organisations around the world in strengthening our commitment to do even more.
Not only are we committed to supporting concrete initiatives but also using our platform to advocate for more to be done to answer the needs of the millions of refugees around the world.”
Earlier, in July 2021, under the auspices of the QOC, 29 athletes from 11 different countries of the Refugee Olympic Team (ROT) arrived in Doha for training in preparation for the Japan Summer Olympics.
The ROT competed in disciplines such as cycling, judo, swimming and boxing – among others.
