Bahrain’s Roqaya Al-Gassra as she looks at her score after competing in the women’s second round 200m heat 2 at the National Stadium during the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games in this August 19, 2008 file photo.
DOHA: Dahlan Al Hamad, President, Qatar Athletics Federation (QAF) yesterday said Qatar will honour the region’s top athletes at a ‘special’ ceremony next month.
The QAF will assemble names like Roqaya Al-Gassra, Bahrain’s top female sprinter, and Mohamed Salman Al Khuwalidi, the Saudi long jumper and present them with ‘lifetime achievement awards’.
Prince Nawaf bin Mohammed bin Abdullah Al Saud, President, Saudi Arabian Amateur Athletics Federation, and former QAF chief Abdullah Al Zaini will also be honoured with medallions.
“We are also going to present Mutaz Barshim with a special award. We know he is an active athlete but he still deserves to be respected for what he has done so far,” Al Hamad said.
Roqaya was one of the first women to represent Bahrain at the Olympic Games by taking part in the women’s 100m sprint at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens.
She won medals at the 2006 Asian Games and went on to run at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and the 2009 World Championships in Athletics. She announced her international retirement in 2009.
In a historic performance, Qatar’s Barshim became one of three bronze-winning athletes in the men’s high jump final at the London Games on August 7 last year. The young Qatari won the bronze in front of 80,000 fans at the Olympic Stadium.
Al Hamad said QAF has plans to make proposals at a meeting of regional chiefs (athletics) during the three-day championships.
He said prior to the meeting of the presidents of athletics bodies across the region, a separate meeting of other top officials will also be held in Doha.
“The leadership in Qatar is keen to bring nations together through sports,” Al Hamad said.
“This will be first step for the regional athletics family to come closer in this fashion. We will hold discussions and make proposals,” Al Hamad said. “The successful agreements would be taken to the National Olympic Committees in the region and then possibly to the Asian body and the IAAF,” he said.
Qatar will be making proposals on creating a ‘kids festival’ for young athletes from across the Middle East. The QAF is also keen to stage a championships designed for female athletes.
THE PENINSULA
