Qatar Football Association (QFA) President Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Thani (second right), and Saoud Al Mohannadi (right), General Secretary of QFA, join other officials to see the ‘Wall of Fame’ at Grand Hyatt Hotel yesterday.
DOHA: Football history in the country was captured through paintings, vintage shots of players in action and a collection of gold-plated trophies at the draw ceremony of the 2013 Emir Cup yesterday.
A specially designed ‘Wall of Fame” had vintage pictures of past football matches and title clashes and paintings produced by schoolchildren.
The draw ceremony was attended by various high-ranking dignitaries including Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Thani, President of QFA, Saoud Al Mohannadi, General Secretary of QFA, Ali Al Naimi, Assistant Secretary, Ahmed Albuainain, Treasurer of QFA and a host of other top officials.
However, the charm of the ceremony was the collage of vintage pictures showing games and goal-scoring moments captured by photographer Sultan Al Jassim in the last four decade. The collage was split into two groups - colour and black and white photos that adorned a huge wall at Grand Hyatt Hotel.
The ceremony also featured artwork made by schoolchildren who created the drawings specially for the draw ceremony with Emir Cup as the theme.
The QFA president selected the 11 best drawings and later appeared in person to view the ‘remarkable’ photography of previous Emir Cups with Al Jassim who documented the rich history of Qatari football.
Commenting on the occasion, Sheikh Hamad said: “We are certain that this year’s tournament will be highly competitive among the teams. We wish everyone the best of luck.”
Saoud Al Mohannadi, QFA General Secretary, said: “We thank everyone for the continuous and invaluable support received in hope of bringing together an exceptional tournament this year. We hope to see everyone at the games and we are eager to witness a competitive tournament that will exhibit good sportsmanship.”
Khalid Al Kuwari, QFA Director of Marketing, said: “The preparations and joint efforts for this year’s Emir Cup demonstrate innovative and brand new ideas which aim to showcase the excitement and amusement associated with the tournament. We thank everyone for their efforts especially the media who play a very important role in promoting this event.”
The 2013 Emir Cup will follow a knock-out format and is divided into a five-stage event. The winners of the fifth stage will compete in the final on May 18.
THE PENINSULA
