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Marking the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace on Monday (6th April), the Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) partnered with Reach Out to Asia (ROTA) to celebrate the event with athletes participating in the 2nd Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Beach Games.

The QOC used the hosting the 2nd GCC Beach Games in Doha to promote the International Day - which aims to highlight the power of sport as a catalyst for social change, development and peace.

The celebration saw athletes, National Olympic Committees, schoolchildren and the general public unite with the QOC and ROTA to celebrate this important UN initiative, which is supported by the International Olympic Committee.

Speaking from Al Gharafa Club, one of the venues of the GCC Beach Games, Mohammed Al Fadala, Director of PR and Marketing at the QOC and Executive Director of the Schools Olympic Program stated “sport is an incredibly powerful tool for social change and community development, and we are fully supportive of the work that the UN and International Olympic Committee are doing to build a better world through sport.

“The GCC Beach Games is a fantastic opportunity to promote this initiative as it unites different nations through sport and highlights the importance of leading a healthy and active lifestyle in all members of society.

“The Qatar Olympic Committee is also committed to ensuring that the promotion of this initiative is more than just one day of celebration.

“The theme of this year’s Schools Olympic Program was ‘Sport and Peace’ and, through our partnership with Reach Out to Asia, we were able to educate our schoolchildren about the importance of sport in developing and uniting society and spread the Olympic values of friendship and respect. It is wonderful to have children from the Schools Olympic Program here today so that they can see first-hand the power of sport in action.”

Reach Out to Asia is a non-governmental organisation founded in 1995 by His Highness Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, the Father Emir of Qatar, and chaired by Her Highness Sheikha Mozah Bint Nasser. It aims to provide those in need across the Asian continent with quality education and provide support to its neighbouring countries as they overcome developmental difficulties. ROTA has also recently helped to launch the #1in11 campaign, which is a unique partnership between UNICEF, the FC Barcelona Foundation and ROTA to harness the power of sport and education to ensure that every child has the opportunities they deserve in life. Lionel Messi and Serena Williams are Ambassadors of the campaign.

International Day of Sport for Development and Peace is a UN initiative with the support of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). It offers the opportunity to promote sport and physical activity as a universal tool and driver for social change, contributing to development, the fight against social stigma and discrimination, gender equality, healthy behaviours and peace-building. Part of the IOC’s Olympic Agenda 2020 also reflects the need to reinforce the role of sport in society, and to strengthen strategic partnerships to this end.

The QOC has been raising awareness of the initiative as part of the GCC Beach Games sport presentation, as well as encouraging all athletes and National Olympic Committees participating in the GCC Beach Games to tweet their support, and promoting it through the QOC’s own social media channels.

6th April 2015 - SPORT HAS THE POWER TO HELP DEVELOP THE POTENTIAL OF INDIVIDUALS, COMMUNITIES AND NATIONS

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