Community

Karnataka Muslim Cultural Association - Qatar elected its new committee at the annual general meeting, followed by an Iftar for members and heads of other organisations. The proceedings started with the Holy Qur'an recitation by Rehan Rashid. Abdullah Moideen was the master of ceremonies. President Fayaz Ahmed welcomed the audience. General secretary Suhaib Ahmed presented the annual report for the past year. Treasury report was presented by Khaleel Ahmed. Ahmed Saeed Assadi conducted the election for the 2023–24 committee. Newly-elected president Saquib Raza Khan from Mangalore delivered his acceptance address and outlined the future plans. The other officials are: vice president - Suhaib Ahmed, general secretary‐ Shahim Mohammed Sheikh, treasurer ‐ Khaleel Ahmed, joint secretary‐ Mohammed Yunus, cultural secretary ‐ Sayed Ashfaque and sports secretary ‐Shakeel Mohammad. Ahmed Saeed Assadi proposed a vote of thanks.A quiz competition was conducted by Sajid Ahmed Udupi and five top winners awarded.Around 150 people, including community leaders, attended the Iftar.

Tulu Koota Qatar organised a spectacular Tulu Jaatre – 2023 event attended by an audience of more than 3,000. Coastal Karnataka special pili vesha/pili nalike (tiger dance), popular folk dance Yakshagana, Baila dance-The dance of Nativity, Jaatre dance and a dance competition won by Kerala Women’s Initiative Qatar were among the highlights. President Kiran Anand welcomed the gathering. Ravi Katapadi, a distinguished social worker from Tulunaad, was the special guest of honour. Past president and patron M Ravi Shetty was felicitated for being bestowed with the Karnataka Rajyothsava Award-2022. Saiheel Rai was the compere.

Chaliyar Doha, a Keralite expatriate collective, hosted an Iftar party attended by representatives of various Indian community organisations. President Zameel Abdul Wahid Chaliyam presided at the function which saw the honouring of winners of a drawing competition held on the occasion of World Water Day and a quiz.Indian Cultural Centre president A P Manikantan, Indian Community Benevolent Forum president Shanavas Bava, Shoukathali T A J and V C Mashhood distributed the prizes. Chaliyar Doha general secretary C T Siddique Cheruvadi, secretary Abi Chunkathara and treasurer Jabir Beypore were present.

The Toastmasters Division C Annual Conference 2023 with the theme ‘Compete & Conquer’ was held recently. Division director Pradeep Menon presided. The speech contest winners, Chandrasekhar Angadi (humorous), Nalini GP Mathur (evaluation, table topics) and Nisha Shivram (international) will represent Division C at District 116 Toastmasters Annual Conference from May 26 to 27. Chair Hitesh Savaliya welcomed the audience. The contest chairs were Vinodh Pisharom, Smitha Abraham, Abhina Pradeep and Freeda Lobo. Chief sergeant-at-arms Jinesh John started the meeting and the emcee was Lornalyn Tallod. Contest manager Asokan proposed a vote of thanks. The conference was attended by the Toastmasters Region 11 adviser Rajeswar Sunderasan, District 116 director Rajesh V C, programme quality director Ravi Shankar and club growth director Sabeena M K.

Telangana Welfare Association (TWA) Qatar, an associate of Indian Community Benevolent Forum, has announced new managing committee and advisory council for 2023-24. The new office-bearers are: President - Mohamed Abdul Rauf, vice president - Ramesh Pitla, general secretary - Naveed Dastagir, joint secretary - Sravanthi Perumandla, treasurer - Mohamed Salauddin, women’s wing social and domestic workers' welfare co-ordinator - Swetha Tharigoppulapa, secretaries - Syed Bakhar Mohiuddin (sports and youth activities), Mohamed Taha (media & development), Mohamed Abdul Nadeem Baba (membership) and head of events - Nagaraju Kalavathri. Outgoing president Khaja Nizamuddin gave a report of the activities conducted by TWA during the two-year tenure of his committee. Chairman Sayeed Mohamed thanked the outgoing president and welcomed the new managing committee.

The Philippine Institute of Certified Public Accountants (Picpa) Doha organised a webinar on ‘Understanding your financial strategy,’ in collaboration with Overseas Filipino Investors and Entrepreneurs – Movement (OFIE-M).The aim was to coach Filipino expatriates on personal finance and help them foster a financial strategy that fits their needs and goals. Gerard Abejuela, the first speaker, emphasised the importance of mindset.Romeo Manaois underscored the importance of financial planning by outlining the five key elements: managing money, building a safety net, accumulating wealth, preserving wealth and leaving a legacy.Marilou Tabisora elaborated on how equities and treasury bonds can help individuals grow their wealth over time. Jess Gallo discussed how to identify good real estate investment opportunities. Aris Jay Riparip highlighted how life insurance can help pay off debts, secure children's education, and replace the income of the breadwinner.

Qatar Golf Lovers (QGL) resumed its monthly tournament by bidding farewell to the Indian ambassador Dr Deepak Mittal.QGL’s 212th edition, a Two Person Team Texas Scramble Tournament contested by 36 golfers at the Doha Golf Club, was won by Vietnam ambassador Tran Duc Hung and his partner Anwar Ali. The team of Chandrashekhar Angadi and Rukkaiya Pachisa finished as runners-up. Dr Mittal and Kazakhstan ambassador Arman Issagaliyev also gave away prizes to the winners. QGL president Manoj Megchiani, vice president Sanjay Jain and captain Clark White gave away special prizes to Vinayan Radhakrishnan for ‘Longest Putt,’ Pavan Singh for 'Nearest to Pin' and Rakesh Wagh & Rukkaiya Pachisa for ‘Longest Drive’. The prizes were sponsored by QGL supporter Pavan Singh.QGL founder member P K Viswanath felicitated Dr Mittal. Mementos were presented by ambassador Hung, ambassador Issagaliyev, Fazal & Tasnim Kazi, and Dr Ahsan & Rukkaiya Pachisa.

Kerala Women’s Initiative Qatar (KWIQ) in collaboration with Indian Cultural Centre (ICC) conducted its sixth season of ‘Pusthak Mela’ (Book Fair) at ICC premises from March 17-21, 2023.With the aim of ‘Reduce, Reuse & Recycle’, this community service initiative of KWIQ gave many parents an opportunity to donate used academic textbooks of all CBSE board schools in Qatar from Grade 4 along with storybooks, novels, and guides and in exchange get used academic books for the new academic year for free.“This is the sixth year we are conducting the Pusthak Mela and I am proud to say that we had an overwhelming footfall of over 1,500 visitors. Parents and children who came to collect the used books were very happy and expressed their gratitude as this is a huge cost saving for them, ” said Zareena Ahad, president, KWIQ.The event was inaugurated by Indian embassy first secretary Sachin Dinkar Shankpal along with Ahad. Noted Indian film director Siddique was present. ICC's former president P N Baburajan and other outgoing management committee members were honoured for their continuous support for all the KWIQ programmes during their tenure.The function also saw ICC's new president A P Manikantan and his team, Indian Community Benevolent Forum president Shanavas Bava and Indian Sports Centre president Abdulrahman E P being honoured. Each guest was given a potted plant, as an environment-friendly gesture.

Qatar Ceylon Cup, the annual seven-a-side football tournament of Sri Lankan clubs, was held recently at Shahaniya Sports Club by the Puttalam Zahirians Qatar and supported by Clean Nation, Youth Scholarship Fund and Puttalam Association Qatar. The event featured more than 40 games on two pitches. Everocks FC won the Elites Championship, beating Negombo Hilaalians FC. The top scorer was Rizwan (Everocks FC) and best goalkeeper Sakeer (Hilaalians FC). Third place trophy was won by Colombo Zahira OBA. Kalugamuwa FC won the Veterans Championship, beating Matrix FC. The top scorer was Faisal and best goalkeeper Irshad from Kalugamuwa FC. Tournament organiser Anshad Mohamed from Puttalam Zahirians lauded the support from the Sri Lankan community, Clean Nation under the leadership of Isham Marikar, Shahaniya Sports Club representative Fahad Matar al-Shammari and the Walking Football Federation Qatar president Farhan al-Sheikh al-Sayed.

College of Engineering Trivandrum Alumni Association (Cetaaq) conducted its Sports Day recently at Park House English School, Mesaimeer. All members, including their families, participated in the day-long event. The prizes for the winners will be handed over at a function to be conducted along with the annual general meeting on March 17.

The Guinness World Record certificate for the world's largest football boot was recently received by Indian expatriate organisation Focus International. The function at Indian Cultural Centre (ICC) was inaugurated by Indian embassy first secretary Sachin Dinkar Shankpal. The world's largest football boot was unveiled at Katara by Focus International in co-ordination with Katara Public Diplomacy Centre on November 14, 2022, ahead of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. The boot was designed by Kerala-based artist and curator Dileef, a Guinness World Record holder.Focus International CEO Shameer Valiyavettil presided at the function. ICC president P N Baburajan was present. Focus International Qatar Region COO Ameer Shaji welcomed the gathering and CFO Safirussalam proposed a vote of thanks.

Pakistan Welfare Forum (PWF) Qatar handed over relief goods for the earthquake victims to the ambassador of Turkiye Dr M Mustafa Goksu, a statement said.The PWF delegation was led by founder member Mohamed Khan and comprised president Khalid Bhatti, Riyaz Bakali and Qaiser Anwar. The relief goods included blankets, shoes, socks and other essential supplies.The ambassador thanked PWF for their valuable contribution and expressed his country’s gratitude to the Pakistani people for extending assistance to his country during the natural calamity that has left thousands of people dead and reduced many homes and infrastructure to rubble.“It’s very good to know you have your friends on your side,” remarked the ambassador as he appreciated the efforts of the PWF to motivate the Pakistani community, which resulted in collecting relief goods. The envoy also presented T-shirts and caps to the delegation members as a token of appreciation."We stand with our Turkish brothers and sisters during this difficult time and contributed relief items to express solidarity with them. We hope our support will make a meaningful difference to those affected by the earthquake," remarked Bhatti.PWF is a non-profit organisation committed to promoting social welfare and uplifting communities through its various programmes and initiatives and has a strong track record of supporting relief efforts domestically and internationally.A team of PWF members is already in Turkiye to participate in relief activities. PWF has requested community members to contribute in relief activities in any way possible, the statement added.

Hanson Joseph, an expatriate football coach, has been awarded the AFC B Diploma by Qatar Football Association (QFA).Joseph who received the diploma from Najib al-Tairi, the general course co-ordinator at QFA, is the first Indian in Qatar to qualify and receive the B License.“It took me several months of training and hard work to complete the programme successfully. I hope this will help me impart better coaching and techniques to my students,” said a jubilant Joseph who trains school students of various age categories.Those who want to complete the B License diploma, have to go through different phases. First they have to complete the training for D License, by taking a six-day course that is mandatory to impart basic skills to football aspirants. The next step is the C License through an 18-day programme. The C License is to train children up to the age of 12. Only those who complete C License are eligible to undergo training for B license which makes a coach eligible to train children up to the age of 17. The B License programme comprises 28 days of training sessions. The licensing programme is approved by UEFA, the Union of European Football Associations.

Indonesian ambassador Ridwan Hassan inaugurated and sworn in the Indonesian Foreign Election Committee (PPLN) last month to prepare for the 2024 Indonesian general election.In a statement, the Indonesian embassy in Qatar said the formation of the Committee is one of the efforts from the Indonesia's General Election Commission in Jakarta, which collaborates with the Indonesian diaspora worldwide to organise the general election which will be conducted in mid-February in 2024.The embassy noted that the election committee consisted of Heri Kartono, Dedi Buditriyanto, Ahmad Syarnubi Fatah, Riza Wibawa, Prihandoko Saputra, Davina Chairunnissah, and Mohamed Fazlurrahman Syarif. The PPLN Doha has so far assigned a team to update the Overseas Voter Data (Pantarlih LN) in various work areas, including Doha, Al Khor, Dukhan, Mesaieed, and Wakrah to carry out data matching of Indonesian citizens who are eligible to vote. This task includes updating and matching data in order to determine the number of ballot papers at the time of the upcoming 2024 general election.Thousands of Indonesians living in Qatar are expected to vote next year. This election is held to elect the President and Vice President, as well as Indonesia members of parliament.Hassan said he hopes that all Indonesians in Qatar will be actively involved in supporting the success of this undertaking.

Area 15 conducted its annual speech contests led by contest manager and area director Babu M K, in a hybrid environment. The first and second place winners will represent Area 15 in the Division D Toastmasters Annual Conference - Dare to Dream 2023 on March 10. The members from the clubs – KEF Toastmasters, AITMAQ Toastmasters, and Al Kalema Toastmasters Club, competed. The winners: Evaluation – Nevine Kamel, Najla Azad, Bindu Pillai; humorous – Sachit Kadavil, Ajinas Arangatt, Zia Kola; table topics – Nevine Kamel, Bindu Pillai, Mary Shine Saju; international – Bindu Pillai, Nevine Kamel, Najla Azad. R S Kumar Naidu was the chief judge. Special mention was given to Area 15 past director Pradip Sadiye for his assistance. District director Rajesh V C, programme quality director Ravi Shankar J and other guests graced the event.

Indian expatriate organisation Bangiya Parishad Qatar (BPQ) celebrated their annual sports day recently. Sweden's ambassador Gautam Bhattacharya and his family were the special guests. A yoga session led by Yogacharya Sunil Kumar, a host of sporting events for all ages and a football match were the highlights. In line with BPQ’s commitment towards a greener earth, the organisers gifted flowering plants to the participants.

Malarwadi Qatar, Rayyan Zone celebrated the National Sport Day in a unique way by bringing together differently-abled children and their families at Loydence Academy campus in Doha.The winners are the following: Fancy dress - Azra Shafi, Afraz Usman, Fasna Kunjahammed; Colouring - Amina Yumna, Shrians Ghosh, Afraz Usman; Throw ball - Veda Smriti, Hasis, Furkhan Ali; Shoot out - Furqan Ali, Afraz Usman, Maas Shahid; Wheelchair race - Afraz Usman, Faiha Yunus, Gibran Nadeer; Wheelchair with support - Naishana. Niyal Ahmad, Amina Yumna; Ball passing - Zaira Fatima, Mohammad Bin Fahwazir, Amina Yumna; Quiz - Afraz Usman, Gibran Nadeer, Shabib Sajid Rahman; Puzzles - Yahor, Furkhan Ali, Zaira Fatima; Singing - Liana Maryam, Amina Yumna, Veda Smriti.Competitions were also held for the siblings of the differently-abled individuals.The concluding session was chaired by Muhammad Ali Shantapuram, president, Centre for Indian Community, Rayyan Zone.Dr Salil Hassan, vice principal of Shantiniketan Indian School, interacted with the children. All participants received certificates and prizes, while special prizes awarded to the winners. A 55-inch colour TV was given as a gift to a lucky draw winner.Programme convener Abdul Jaleel M M Welcomed the gathering and convener Sajid M C proposed a vote of thanks.

Kodiyathur Panchayath won the overall championship in the Chaliyar Sports Fest 2023 held by Keralite forum Chaliyar Doha as part of Qatar National Sport Day celebrations at Wakra Sports Club. Over 2,000 people, including children, participated in different games and activities.Keezhparamba Panchayath came second, Vazhakkad and Kadalundi panchayaths shared the third position, Edavanna Panchayath was fourth and Cheruvannur Nallalam Panchayath fifth.Kodiyathur secured first in group events such as march past, tug-of-war, and football competitions.Vazhakad won first place in the 4x100 relay while Edavanna topped the women's penalty shootout.Another highlight was the honouring of 110 FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 volunteers from 24 panchayaths under Chaliyar Doha.Qatari volleyball player Mubarak Dahi Waleed inaugurated the sports fest. Chaliyar Doha president Zameel Abdul Wahid presided over the ceremony. Chief patron V C Mashood, advisory committee member and sports fest vice chairman Siddique Vazhakad, patron Hyder Chungathara, title sponsor Rayada Medical Centre's managing director Jamshir Hamza, marketing head Altaf Shameer, radio partner Radio Suno & Olive FM programme head Nibuvarghese Appunni, Voliq Qatar general secretary Ashiq Ahmed, Indian Cultural Centre president P N Baburajan, Indian Sports Centre president Dr Mohan Thomas, community leaders Varki Boban, E P Abdurrahiman, Sabit Zaheer, Shanawaz Bava, Jutas Paul, K R Jayaraj, Deepak Shetty, Abraham K Joseph, Mustafa Elathur, Hans Jacob-Finq and others attended the event.The programme was moderated by Chaliyar Doha secretariat office bearers Ratheesh Kakkove, Layis Kuniyil, Aziz Cheruvannur, Abi Chungathara, Raghunath Farook, Tauseef Kavannoor, Sabik Edavanna, Women's Committee president Muneera Basheer, vice presidents Muhsina Zameel, Vrinda Ratheesh, secretary Sheetal Prasanth and treasurer Shaleena Rajesh. Chaliyar Doha general secretary C T Sidhique Cheruvadi welcomed and Jabir Beypore proposed a vote of thanks.

While celebrating the Qatar National Sport Day, the Youth Forum recently organised Al Batal Interzone Sports Fair at the Ideal Indian School, Hamilton International School and Cambridge School grounds and Al Thumama ground. As many as 300 participants competed in a range of events that included chess, football, badminton, cricket, arm wrestling and tug-of-war. Al Wakra and Al Hilal zones were the champions. Madinat Khalifa zone secured the second place. Youth Forum president S S Mustafa, general secretary Absal Abduti and other officials distributed prizes. Mumin, Muhammad Ishaq, Najeeb Tari, and Shibilurahman were present.

The Indonesian embassy in Doha, in collaboration with Qatar Museums, Qatar Foundation and with the support of the Indonesian Community Association in Qatar (Permiqa) as well as the ministry of education and culture of Indonesia, held an event on February 14 to promote the philosophical tradition of Pencak Silat in Qatar.Five renowned athletes and performers of Pencak Silat demonstrated their skill at Multaqa Plaza, Education City, at the event, held in conjunction with the celebration of Qatar National Sport Day and Qatar-Indonesia Year of Culture, an embassy statement said.'Pencak Silat' is a traditional sport deeply rooted in cultural heritage, values, and philosophies.‘Pencak’ means traditional movements in traditional attire accompanied by traditional music, while ‘Silat’ means the techniques of self-defence.Pencak Silat is a complex form of traditional martial art which also emphasises mental, spiritual, self-defence, and artistic aspects.The evidence of Pencak Silat’s origin starts from the 6th century, but it might be inherited long before any documented records.Traditional sports are usually taught and passed down from generation to generation orally. In 2019, Pencak Silat was inscribed on the 'Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity' by Unesco, which recognised that the traditional sport has become the identity and unification of the Indonesian nation, because it contains the values of friendship, mutual respect, and promotes social cohesion."I believe nothing unites the world better than sport," said Indonesian ambassador to Qatar, Ridwan Hassan.IKM (Minang Family Association in Qatar), in collaboration with Indonesian embassy in Qatar, Permiqa and with the support from Qatar's Ministry of Culture and Qatar Museums held an exhibition of Minang Culture at Bait al-Sulaiti, on February 16.A wide variety of cultural performances such as traditional dances, music, and a three-dimension story about Minang culture enriched the event, held as part of the celebration of Qatar-Indonesia Year of Culture 2023, a statement from the embassy said.Minang or Minangkabau is an indigenous ethnic group that inhabits the Minangkabau Highlands in West Sumatra, Indonesia. The Minangkabau customary principle is reflected in the statement 'Adat Basandi Syarak, Syarak Basandi Kitabullah' meaning that Minangkabau principles and customs are based on Shariah (Islamic law), sourced from the Holy Qur'an. In social life, people in Minangkabau uphold egalitarian values or togetherness, as stated in the statement 'Duduak samo randah, tagak samo tinggi', meaning 'sit low, stand high', aims to always be on the same level as others.Also presented at the event was the world-renowned Minang cuisine, heavily influenced by Middle Eastern and Indian cuisine with the richness of spices. The Minang cuisine also reflects a set of local wisdom and values.