‘We want to inspire a new generation through soccer’

Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy secretary general Hassan al-Thawadi speaks at Doha GOALS Forum yesterday. PICTURE: Anas al-Samaraee

By Satya Rath/Doha

“A genuine legacy,” as Hassan al-Thawadi, the young secretary general of the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC), put it at the Doha GOALS forum yesterday. “When we went for the (FIFA 2022) bid, we wanted to be different. We were determined to make a difference by empowering and inspiring a new generation. And we wanted to do it through football.”

Even the stadiums for the 2022 World Cup are being built keeping legacy in mind. Modular components are being used in building the new stadia, so that after the event, it can be transported to other countries. It will ensure that the stadia are put to good use to help improve the game in developing countries, and that they are not left behind as white elephants.

Among the many initiatives launched by SC was ‘Generation Amazing’, a programme that seeks to empower a new generation of leaders to use football to create positive change in their respective communities. The project was launched in Nepal and Pakistan four years back. Syria and Lebanon have added to the programme in recent years.

As part of the programme, 16 youth ambassadors travelled to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa – eight each from Pakistan and Nepal. For the Brazil World Cup held earlier this year, 22 children were taken on a 10-day trip to watch the games.

Al-Thawadi says the project aims to create a lasting social change at the grassroots level in these developing countries. “Qatar is at the forefront of social initiatives and this is one of numerous projects that follow the path of Qatar’s Vision 2030. Our commitment is long term. We want to leave behind a genuine and legitimate legacy that goes further beyond 2022. These are still early days. Generation Amazing has a long way to go,” he says.

“Whether our efforts are focused in Nepal or Pakistan, or Syria or Lebanon, or even here at home, we remain committed to the basic philosophy that sport can be used as a means of improving peoples’ lives,” al-Thawadi added.

The areas of action are chosen accordingly. Like in Pakistan, the programme is centred around the war-torn Swat Valley. In Nepal, all the schools selected for the project are in Kailali district in the western part of the country, home to some of the lowest literacy rates and income indices in the region.

Project officials regularly travel to the regions to visit schools and oversee local tournaments for the selection of youth ambassadors, often in adverse circumstances owing to the unrest in the area.

“The circumstances on the ground in both countries only reinforce our firm commitment to proceed with this programme,” al-Thawadi says. “We know that there are significant challenges for children and communities in these countries, and that is precisely why we will not be deterred.”

As part of the programme, football pitches have been built or refurbished in the four countries. A number of young ambassadors, picked up after a gruelling selection process, have been provided leadership coaching based on their potential and performance on and off the pitch. Youth football tournaments are also organised in these countries annually.