Hanane Djoua
Doha
Qatar Foundation (QF) has launched the Creating Pathways Program, a groundbreaking initiative designed to foster sporting talent among girls in Qatar, with its first focus on track and field. The program, unveiled on Saturday at an event in Education City Stadium, was launched in partnership with Olympic gold medalist Sifan Hassan, who was named ambassador for the program.
The Creating Pathways Program, a key part of QF’s post-FIFA World Cup legacy plans, is aimed at encouraging girls aged 12-16 to participate in sports. It will provide training led by local mentors and coaches, emphasizing the significance of physical activity, nutrition, and overall well-being. The first phase of the initiative, the Women’s Track and Field Program, will focus on developing high-potential Qatari girls within a female-only training environment.
Sifan Hassan, a six-time Olympic medalist, who won one gold and two bronze medals at the Paris 2024 Olympics, delivered an inspiring speech at the event, where she recalled her personal challenges and journey to success:
"As a refugee, I have faced difficult situations, but running helped me conquer my fear. Because of running, I am not afraid to fail, to take up challenges, or to make mistakes. That is what I want to pass on to the young girls in Qatar and the region. Girls everywhere hold a lot of promise – they just need some encouragement to believe in themselves, and that’s what I will help them do.”
Elizabeth McColgan, Olympic medalist and Director of Athletics at QF’s CEO Office, emphasized the program’s commitment to empowering women and girls through sports:
"We are committed to promoting the participation of women and girls in sports and to providing a safe and welcoming environment for female athletes of all ages and skill levels. The Creating Pathways Program has been designed with women in mind – healthy you, healthy body, healthy mind.”
The Women’s Track and Field Program is the first of five elite sports programs that will be rolled out through the Creating Pathways Program. It will later expand to after-school and community-based sports initiatives, providing a broader scope of participation opportunities.
Alexandra Chalat, Executive Director of Partnerships and Strategic Alignment at QF, explained the significance of the program within QF’s overall sports strategy:
"At Qatar Foundation, we promote and enable participation in sports by offering accessible opportunities for everyone, with our programs reflecting diverse needs and cultural considerations. QF is harnessing the post-FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 excitement to provide more opportunities for women and girls to engage in physical activity, contributing to the legacy vision of a healthier nation.”
Chalat further highlighted QF’s broader ambitions, which include the creation of a Women’s Sports Academy in 2026-27: "The Creating Pathways Program is the precursor to QF’s Women’s Sports Academy, which will serve as a feeder into national teams across a range of sports. The academy will be based at Education City Stadium, a key FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 venue, which is now being transformed into a hub for women’s and girls’ sports.”
The program is also in partnership with the Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) and aligns with QOC’s National Federation Development Strategy. The goal is to create a pipeline of talent that can be integrated into Qatar’s national teams.
Speaking at the event, Ghalya Al Harami, Public Relations Specialist at HBKU and an advocate for community sports, stressed the need for safe spaces for women in sports: "I think we need more designated areas for ladies. While some girls in Qatari society are open to running in public spaces, the majority feel insecure and unsafe. I strongly stress that we need designated places for women.”
In addition to track and field, QF is working on expanding sports opportunities across a variety of disciplines. Chalat added: "They are supporting us through a junior NBA and WNBA program, as well as a girls-specific program. We’re in our second year, and that will continue through the Basketball World Cup, which is coming to Qatar in 2027. We are also working with international governing bodies, including the governing body for volleyball, specifically on a coaching education program for girls. We’ll be running clinics in December and exploring beach volleyball, but in a private setting here at the stadium. We are open to global partnerships, but crucially, we want this to be locally relevant and to partner with organizations that truly understand what we are trying to achieve for the culture here in the Arab world.”
With the momentum of Qatar’s post-World Cup legacy driving sports initiatives across the nation, the Creating Pathways Program stands as a landmark effort in empowering girls and women, not only athletically but also personally – enabling them to grow into confident, accomplished individuals in their communities.