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Introduction to Translation

Recently, on the screen of Al-Jazeera, the episode of the program "hidden behind the curtain", entitled "Behind the Curtain", which dealt with the circumstances of the piracy of the channels "BN Sports" by a group called itself "BEOUTQ", which revealed the documents and videos Exclusive involvement of Saudi Arabia and the Arab Republic of Egypt in the piracy operation, in their quest to offer an alternative to the Qatari sports channel, just weeks after the announcement of the siege of Doha.

These piracy efforts were only an indication of the importance of sport as a key pillar of Qatar's global strategy.It will host the most prominent global event, the 2022 FIFA World Cup, and is now hosting the 2019 Athletics World Cup and has one of the world's largest sports media platforms. These examples are only brief examples of the importance of sport in the country strategy .. Why all these endeavors, and why Qatar is based in its sports strategy?

Text of the report

Since winning the right to host the 2022 World Cup, the world's attention has shifted to Qatar. While some praise its development and entry into the world stage, others questioned the legitimacy of this "small" country to host this huge event. Doubts were also raised about the ways Qatar may have influenced sports, business and politics, its tolerance for other cultures (including alcohol consumption), and of course its scorching summer heat. However, Qatar's ambitious vision of sport is not a new phenomenon or a product of chance. Indeed, it is a sign of a strategic approach - followed wisely by Qatar - that uses sport as a tool for development and public relations. The strategy can be divided into four main pillars: direct investment in the sports industry, hosting major sporting events, nurturing an elite sport, and sports diplomacy.

Investment in the sports industry

The first pillar of Qatar's strategy is direct investment in the sports industry. The past years have seen Qatar engage in a strong investment campaign in the global sport world through Qatar Sports Investment (QSI). QSI, founded in 2005 as a joint initiative between the Qatar Olympic Committee and the Ministry of Finance, was behind major acquisitions in the sports world, including the Paris Saint-Germain Football Club, the sportswear brand (BURRDA), and various television rights to football matches. Al-Jazeera sports channel, and sponsorship of the best European clubs such as FC Barcelona, ​​estimated at 30 million euros annually from 2011 to 2016.

The 2012 London Olympic Village was sold to Qatari Diar for £ 557 million. The investment, as stated by elite rulers and businessmen, was intended to help strengthen other economic sectors such as retail, property, hospitality, and tourism as part of a broader strategy to reduce dependence on oil and gas, thereby exploring other safe economic projects in all around the world.

The strategy has so far been fruitful, for example, the Qatar-based sports channel BN Sports, which now dominates broadcasting rights for major sports in the Middle East and North Africa. It expanded its broadcast rights agreement with FIFA for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups in Russia and Qatar. The agreement covers cable, satellite, terrestrial, mobile and broadband Internet transmission across 23 regions and countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. The channel also expanded its market to Europe and the United States, competing with other major sports networks such as Canal + and ESPN.

Hosting sporting events and sports development

The Doha 2006 Asian Games marked a turning point for Qatar's strategy to host major sporting events. On its way to the 2022 World Cup - which will be the first major sporting event to be organized in the region - Qatar has secured the hosting of several international sports competitions, such as the 2014 World Swimming Short Championship, the 2015 Handball World Championship, as well as the World Cycling Championship. Road 2016 and the 2018 Professional Gymnastics Championship. In analyzing the statements of political leaders and decision-makers in sports and the local press, the prevailing accounts of the rationale behind the organization of international sporting events confirm Qatar's response to trends in globalization, which blends traditional culture with modernity. Qatar's accession to the universal values ​​of democracy, solidarity and human rights, its respect for cultural differences, and its convergence between East and West.

As part of its strategy, Qatar aspires to be a center of sporting excellence in the region. Huge financial resources are being devoted to the construction of state-of-the-art sports facilities and elite sport development centers. And employing foreign players and coaches to contribute to the development of performance levels for local tournaments and national teams in major sports, especially in team sports such as football, handball, basketball and volleyball. Furthermore, sports scientists from around the world are employed to support the development of a distinct sports system in the country. Aspire Sports Academy and ASPITAR (Qatar Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Hospital) are the cornerstones of this development strategy.

Both are located in Aspire Zone, now the center of Doha's sporting, elite and community sports industry. The slogan of the Aspire Zone Foundation as mentioned on its web page is that by 2020, "we will be the benchmark in sports excellence worldwide". In addition to importing skilled immigrants in sport, Qatar also encourages the emergence of Qatar's elite coaches, athletes and sports managers. Qatar's bronze medalist at the 2012 London Olympics, Moataz Barsham, who specializes in high jump, was the first Qatari national to graduate from the Aspire Academy to win a medal at the Olympic Games. Recent data from Qatar's statistics on the officials of the teams registered in the sports federations show that Qataris are now prominent competitors in a number of sports including handball, football and volleyball.

Sports diplomacy and the creation of sports identity

Sport is an integral part of Qatar's diplomacy. In building alliances with the world of finance and politics, establishing a presence in terms of international prestige and creating sports identity, Qatar occupies decision-making positions in regional, continental and international sports organizations. The International Center for Sports Security (ICSS) and the Qatar Anti-Doping Laboratory encourage Qatar as a global leader in protecting international sporting integrity and fighting corruption, exploitation and abuse in sport. DOHA GOALS has become an annual gathering of world leaders in politics, business, media, and of course the top shareholders in sport, in Doha to talk about the power of sport in “cross-cultural”. As former French President Nicolas Sarkozy said, Qatar is a country where faith, tradition and modernity can be reconciled. To this end, the Qatar Olympic and Sports Museum was recently launched to promote and protect the Arab cultural heritage.

During the Olympics, the Center organized a photo exhibition of Bridget Lacombe and Marianne Lacombe videos in the heart of London under the title "Arab Women in Sport". The aim was to send a strong message to the international community that while protecting its heritage as an Arab and Muslim country, Qatar is opening the door to sport for women. The Olympic Movement welcomed the participation of Qatari women in the Olympic Games for the first time.

Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser al-Missned, the wife of Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, the former Emir of Qatar, participated actively in the presentation of her country. Of all the other bidders, only women participated in the final bid. However, Qatar's growing influence in sport is not welcomed by everyone. Some analysts go so far as to claim that Qatar's investment in sport cannot be explained economically. They argue that this phenomenon is a political phenomenon resulting from the consequences of globalization, which allows small rich countries to own to gain tremendous political influence.

Qatar project ambition amid uncertainty

As a result of significant investment in sport and development, and the impact of Al Jazeera in the Arab world, Qatar has successfully redefined its position as an influential business and political actor and a new global destination for sport. Qatar is described as a "small country with big policies." Likewise, Qatar has become a “small country with great athletic ambition”. However, the strategy of creating a sporting identity has also exposed the country to questions from the international media and NGOs in the field of civil rights and environmental protection. Major challenges are seen in relation to environmental concerns arising from the construction of large sports facilities. Concerns have also been raised about the employment and mobility rights of foreign professional players. In addition, the sustainability of Qatar's investment strategy in sports was questioned, taking into account the low level of sports participation among Qataris, the huge financial cost of maintaining sports facilities, and the low relative return on investment in international sporting performance.

However, as in any other country, Qatar has the right to be ambitious in any field and to protect its national interests. In sporting terms, Qatar wants to position itself in the international sports market and play an active role in bidding, organizing international sporting events, leading the sporting performance at least in the Arabian Peninsula, and improving its ranking globally, all legitimate aspirations.

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Translation: Sara Al Masri

This report is translated by: E-International Relations and does not necessarily reflect the location of Medan.