To promote and provide opportunities for everyone in the field of sports, Qatar Foundation and Volkswagen Middle East have signed an agreement to support capacity-building programs, specifically for women and girls in football.
HE Vice Chairperson and CEO of Qatar Foundation Sheikha Hind bint Hamad Al-Thani, Chairperson of Q-Auto Sheikha Hanadi Al-Thani, Managing Director of Volkswagen Middle East Matthias Ziegler, and other senior members were present at the launch of the partnership.
A football clinic was organized by Qatar Foundations (QF) Pre-University Education schools with a group of young female athletes during the launch. Players had the opportunity to interact with senior members of QF and Volkswagen, share their thoughts on how sport has positively impacted them, and discuss the opportunities that will be made available to them as a result of the agreement.
The partnership will see Volkswagen Middle East sponsor programs and events such as the Women & Girls Football Initiative a tournament that supports grassroots and amateur women and girls athletes. The tournament will take place as part of QFs upcoming 2023-2024 women's football season and will include local and international teams.
"We believe that everyone, including women and girls, should have opportunities to participate in sports," said Machaille Hassan Al Naimi, Executive Officer of the Vice Chairperson and CEO Office of Qatar Foundation.
"Sports instill healthy mindsets, encourages discipline, teaches leadership skills, and demonstrates the values of teamwork; it helps people to develop a sense of identity and community; and builds confidence and determination. Hosting the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 was a testament to the value that sport brings, not only to Qatar, but to our wider society, and we want to build on that legacy by affording girls more opportunities to refine their skills and excel.
"We are delighted that our partnership with Volkswagen Middle East, who share in our values and commitment to supporting our community members in football through knowledge, accessibility and engagement, will open more doors and offer more opportunities." Volkswagen Middle East will continue its cooperation with QFs development programs, building on the success of the Future Leaders in Football summit, previously sponsored by Volkswagen and the German Football Team.
"Our partnership with Qatar Foundation represents a continuation of our commitment to support women in sports, particularly in football, and to provide them with tangible opportunities," said Matthias Ziegler.
"Through this partnership, we are not just sponsoring events, we are nurturing dreams and creating a more inclusive future for the sport of football. We look forward to working with Qatar Foundation in harnessing the power of sports to foster the next generation of leaders." During the partnership launch, senior members from Volkswagen and QF toured Education City Stadium which was one of the eight stadiums for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 which, as a legacy is aiming to become a sporting hub for women and girls, with a focus on education, health and wellbeing. During their tour, the delegates were shown the various features of the stadium that have been designed to support the vision of a more equitable and inclusive sporting culture, including the Sensory Room which ensures an inclusive experience for those with special needs that come to the stadium.
Source: Qatar News Agency