Tribune News Network
Doha
Education City Stadium hosted a panel discussion on ‘Creating a Sustainable Future for Women in Sports in Qatar’ following the announcement of the partnership between Qatar Foundation, the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) and the FIVB Volleyball Foundation to promote the sport.
Volleyball is the second elite sport to be promoted through Qatar Foundation’s (QF) Creating Pathways Programme, launched in September 2024 as part of QF’s FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 legacy. The programme is designed to encourage physical activity and promote overall well-being among girls, with a focus on the importance of exercise, nutrition, and health.
The panel brought together leading local sportswomen and experts to explore ways to foster a more active lifestyle, improve access to sports, and provide greater opportunities for female athletes.
Crediting mountaineering with helping her realise her full potential, Sheikha Asma Al Thani, a Qatari mountaineer and director of the Marketing and International Cooperation Sector at Qatar Olympic Committee, and the first Arab woman and Qatari to complete the Explorers Grand Slam – climbing the Seven Summits and reaching both the North and South Poles, told the audience that growing up, she wasn’t a fan of the outdoors.
She said, “I loved sports, but I didn’t like being uncomfortable, so things like camping weren’t enjoyable for me. Climbing was completely out of my comfort zone, but once I started, it made me realize that I was stronger than I thought. I had more power than I imagined. Sport is what unlocked that life-changing realisation of my own potential, and that’s why I am an avid believer in the holistic contribution of sports to an individual.”
Liz McColgan, former 10,000m world champion and Olympian, and currently QF’s director of Athletics, highlighted the importance of early support for budding athletes.
“For me, it all started when I was 12 or 13, when one person came up to me and said, ‘You can be something. Believe in yourself’,” McColgan said.
According to McColgan, this is largely what the Creating Pathways Programme is about.
McColgan added, “We are working with school children and giving them the opportunity to actually see what sport is, which has never been done here before.
“Really, what it’s about is giving them the opportunity. I believe we will find the talent that will eventually become great athletes, and even if they don’t become something great, they’re going to learn something along the way, which is what educational sport is.”
The Creating Pathways Programme starts at the grassroots level.
“We’re not fortunate enough to just go outside and find all these women who are already elite athletes. We need to build the base and make it strong so that we can have continuity throughout the years,” McColgan said.
The programme takes a very holistic approach and starts as early as preschool. One of the aims is to get kids into the habit of being active and to create a shift in mindset about what sport is and how important it is to be healthy, active, knowledgeable about good nutrition, and aware of the overall benefits of participating in sports.
Speaking on the infamous leaky pipeline issue that women’s sport suffers from and what can be done to fix it, Sheikha Asma Al Thani said, “Longevity is key. This applies to everything. If people know there is a future to what they’re doing, then that will make them continue.
“Sport is not just being an athlete, there are several other paths that can be pursued. At the Qatar Olympic Committee, we have the athlete development pathway, where we work with athletes from a young age all the way to retirement, and give them the opportunities to continue within the sport even after retirement.”
Representation is also incredibly important. It makes a huge difference for aspiring athletes to see that other athletes who come from the same country or similar cultures, who face the same challenges, were able to make it.
“The more stories we can tell, not just about the achievements or the challenges but also the journey to becoming achieving athletes or sportspersons, the more we will help other girls write their own stories,” Sheikha Asma added.
