Al Jassim: “Hosting FIFA World Cup 2022 was never the finish line; it…

Doha, Qatar: Jassim Al Jassim, CEO of the Local Organising Committee for Football Events (LOC) in Qatar, participated in the Foreign Policy Sports Diplomacy Summit held at the Embassy of the State of Qatar in Washington D.C. to mark the 250th anniversary of the United States and the countdown to the FIFA World Cup 2026.

The summit brought together leaders from government, diplomacy, media, and investment to explore sport's growing role as a tool for international cooperation and economic development. chickenroad.qpon

“Qatar’s hosting journey did not end with the FIFA World Cup 2022,” said His Excellency Sheikh Meshal bin Hamad Al Thani, Ambassador of the State of Qatar to the United States.

“The expertise and partnerships built through that tournament continue to support the global sporting community, including preparations for the FIFA World Cup 2026 across North America. We are proud that Qatar’s hosting legacy is contributing to the next chapter of World Cup history, and that hosting the Foreign Policy Sports Diplomacy Summit reflects our commitment to advancing international dialogue through sport.”

Speaking on a panel titled Welcoming the World: Leadership Lessons From Mega Event Hosts, Al Jassim reflected on the lasting legacy of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™, which showcased Arab culture, hospitality, and operational excellence on a global stage, firmly establishing Qatar on the world map of sport.

“For Qatar, hosting FIFA World Cup 2022 was never the finish line. It was the foundation for building long-term national capabilities. We weren't building for one event; we were building an ecosystem and a generation of expertise,” said Al Jassim.

“Today we continue to benefit from the infrastructure, expertise, partnerships and international relationships that were strengthened through the tournament. Equally important is human legacy. Thousands of people developed new skills and capabilities that continue to contribute to Qatar and to international sport.”

Al Jassim also addressed the cultural impact of hosting international sporting events, describing how Qatar's sporting legacy has united fans from across the globe and invited them to immerse themselves in local culture, helping to break down stereotypes and misconceptions about the region.

“Sport is one of the few truly universal languages. It allows countries to tell their story in a way that transcends politics, geography and culture. The lesson for any major national celebration is that people connect with authenticity. The most powerful stories are not manufactured; they come from a country's people, values and lived experiences. The World Cup gave us a platform to showcase who we are as a nation, but also who we aspire to be. The event became a bridge between cultures and a vehicle for mutual understanding.”

Since hosting the Middle East's first FIFA World Cup, Qatar has built an illustrious sporting legacy featuring a number of record-breaking events, including the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023™ and three consecutive FIFA tournaments in 2025: the first 48-team FIFA U-17 World Cup, the FIFA Arab Cup, and the FIFA Intercontinental Cup.

“Hosting at this scale is ultimately about people. Infrastructure is important, but infrastructure alone does not deliver a World Cup or a continental championship. What delivers those events are thousands of highly trained people working together across security, transport, operations, technology, media, hospitality, healthcare and dozens of other functions,” said Al Jassim.

As the world turns its attention to the next FIFA World Cup in North America, Al Jassim underscored Qatar's commitment to building on its sporting legacy through knowledge sharing and international cooperation.

A dedicated team of experts from Qatar – who played key roles in delivering landmark tournaments in the country – has been deployed across several Host Cities in the United States and Canada to support delivery of the FIFA World Cup 2026, under a knowledge and expertise transfer Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC) and FIFA. A second contingent of SC staff and stakeholders is participating in an observation programme to deepen understanding of cross-border mega-events.

“Every tournament leaves its own unique mark on football and on the world. Qatar 2022 was a historic moment for the Middle East and Arab world. FIFA World Cup 2026™ will be historic for different reasons,” Al Jassim concluded.

Qatar will welcome the world once again when it hosts the second of five consecutive editions of the FIFA U-17 World Cup from 19 November to 13 December.

في خطوة جديدة تعكس ريادة دولة قطر في تطوير المنظومة الرياضية وتعزيز الابتكار في مجالاتها المختلفة، دشّنت الأكاديمية الأولمبية القطرية أجندة دوراتها وبرامجها لشهر يونيو، والتي تتضمن حزمة متكاملة من البرامج التدريبية المتخصصة، تستهدف القادة والمهنيين والعاملين في القطاع الرياضي، وتسهم في رفع كفاءتهم وتعزيز قدراتهم وفق أحدث المعايير الدولية.
وتواصل الأكاديمية الأولمبية القطرية، من خلال هذه البرامج، دورها المحوري كمنصة تعليمية رائدة في المنطقة،واستهلت الأكاديمية برنامجها لشهر يونيو بإطلاق دورة نوعية بعنوان «الذكاء الاصطناعي التوليدي للقادة في المجال الرياضي»
وهدفت هذه الدورة إلى تزويد القادة وصناع القرار في المؤسسات الرياضية بالمعرفة العملية والرؤية الاستراتيجية اللازمة لفهم واستثمار تقنيات الذكاء الاصطناعي التوليدي، التي باتت تشكل أحد أهم
واستقطبت الدورة نخبة من القيادات الرياضية في اللجنة الأولمبية القطرية ووزارة الرياضة والشباب، ومديري الأكاديميات الخاصة، ومديري الأندية، ومسؤولي الاتحادات، إضافة إلى المهتمين بالتقنيات الحديثة، خاصة في ظل التوجه العالمي المتسارع نحو تسخير الذكاء الاصطناعي في مختلف الرياضات، سواء على مستوى الأداء الفني أو الإدارة أو التسويق.
وفي إطار تعزيز الثقافة الأولمبية وترسيخ المفاهيم المؤسسية، تنظم الأكاديمية خلال الفترة من 7 إلى 11 يونيو دورة بعنوان «مبادئ الحركة الأولمبية في المنظومة الرياضية – الإدارة 1»، وذلك بالتعاون مع التضامن الأولمبي في اللجنة الأولمبية الدولية.
وسيقوم بتقديم الدورة الدكتور سليمان البلوشي، الأكاديمي وخبير الإدارة الرياضية في سلطنة عمان، والذي يتمتع بخبرة واسعة في مجال الإدارة والتدريب الرياضي،

خليل الجابر:
الاستثمار في العنصر البشري هو الأساس لتحقيق التميز
قال خليل إبراهيم الجابر، المدير التنفيذي للأكاديمية الأولمبية القطرية : تأتي أجندة شهر يونيو في إطار حرص الأكاديمية الأولمبية القطرية على تقديم برامج نوعية تواكب التطورات العالمية في المجالات الرياضية والاولمبية والادارية، كما تلبي احتياجات العاملين في هذا القطاع الحيوي والهام.
وأضاف الجابر: نحن نؤمن بأن الاستثمار في العنصر البشري هو الأساس لتحقيق التميز، ولذلك نحرص على تصميم برامج تدريبية تجمع بين المعرفة الأكاديمية والتطبيق العملي، بالتعاون مع شركاء دوليين مرموقين مثل اللجنة الأولمبية الدولية وGoogle Cloud، كما نولي اهتماماً خاصاً لمجالات المستقبل، وعلى رأسها الذكاء الاصطناعي، الذي أصبح يشكل ركيزة أساسية في تطوير العمل الرياضي، سواء على مستوى الإدارة أو الأداء،

Doha: Qatar successfully hosted the decisive AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027 qualifier between Lebanon and Yemen at Grand Hamad Stadium in Doha, with Yemen claiming a 2-0 victory to secure their place in the continental championship.

Originally scheduled to be hosted in Beirut, the final decisive qualifier for the AFC Asian Cup concluded on neutral soil in Qatar, jointly delivered by the Local Organising Committee for Football Events (LOC) and the Lebanese Football Association (LFA).

Fans from across Qatar and the region attended the match, which saw Yemen claim the final spot in Group E of the AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027, joining South Korea, the United Arab Emirates, and Vietnam.

Yemen’s historic victory marks their return to the continental championship eight years after their historic debut at the 2019 edition.

The 19th edition of the AFC Asian Cup is set to take place in Saudi Arabia from 7 January to 5 February 2027.

The Lebanon v Yemen qualifier is the latest in a series of high-profile matches hosted in Qatar, reaffirming the country’s position as a trusted host for international sporting events.

With a capacity of 13,000, Grand Hamad Stadium has a distinguished record of staging FIFA World Cup qualification matches and served as the official base camp for the Brazil national football team during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.

The venue continues to serve as home ground of local club Al-Arabi SC.

Paris: Maja Chwalinska made French Open history on Thursday as the world number 114 became the first qualifier in the professional era to reach the Roland Garros final, where she will take on Mirra Andreeva.

The Pole downed Diana Shnaider 7-6 (7/4), 6-4 in the last four to join Russian 19-year-old Andreeva, a straight-sets winner over Marta Kostyuk, in Saturday's title-decider.

Should she best Andreeva in the final, Chwalinska will become just the second woman to come through qualifying and win a Grand Slam final in any major since the Open era began, after Emma Raducanu's title run at the US Open in 2021.

The 24-year-old said her run in the French capital was "like a dream", moments after beating 25th seed Shnaider, who a day before eliminated world number one Aryna Sabalenka.

"I don't know what's going on, I just, I dunno what to say. I'm sorry, I'm just very happy," she added to raucous applause on Court Philippe Chatrier.

Chwalinska, appearing in her first main draw in Paris, has won nine matches across a three-week campaign at Roland Garros that started with three rounds of qualifying last month.

She admitted that her physical state was "not great" in the aftermath of her two-hour-10-minute semi-final win.

"I mean it's so challenging to play against the best players in the world day by day, but it's a Grand Slam so you just have to give your best day by day," she added.
"But I'm not complaining at all!"

Chwalinska had only won one match in her two previous Grand Slam appearances, at Wimbledon in 2022, and only just two tour-level matches on clay before Roland Garros.

En route to the last four, Chwalinska started out by downing Olympic gold medallist Zheng Qinwen in the first round before felling 23rd seed Elise Mertens, former world number three Maria Sakkari, hometown hope Diane Parry and 22nd seed Anna Kalinskaya.

Chwalinska is projected to climb to at least a career-high No. 21 in the rankings.

After edging the first set on a tie-break, the second frame was level until Shnaider requested a medical time-out for a back massage. After that stoppage, at 4-3, Chwalinska won the next three games to claim victory.

"Very proud of myself, what I achieved here," Shnaider said of her best performance so far in a Grand Slam.

"(Chwalinska) played unreal, and she definitely deserved this win today and to be in the final."

Earlier, Andreeva raced into her first Grand Slam final as she beat an erratic Kostyuk 6-1, 6-3.

The teenager, who had twice lost to Ukrainian Kostyuk this season, including the Madrid Open final, said she was "so focused that I could see those hairs on the ball" as she romped to victory in 76 minutes on court.

"I'm super happy with the way I played and then that I got revenge for Madrid final and I'm happy that I'm in my first-ever Grand Slam final," Andreeva said.

The 15th-seeded Kostyuk went into her maiden major semi-final on a 17-match winning streak on clay but quickly unravelled on Court Philippe Chatrier, where she had four days earlier eased past four-time French Open champion Iga Swiatek.

She finished the match with 34 unforced errors, telling her press conference: "Obviously not the greatest match from me today."

However, it has been a breakthrough clay-court swing for the 23-year-old, who can console herself with a win in Rouen, as well as a first WTA 1000 title in the Spanish capital.

Victory for Andreeva brought her tally of wins in 2026 to 35 -- the most on tour this season.