Doha: The Local Organising Committee of the Doha 2015 IPC Athletics World Championships organised yesterday a workshop for disability centres from across Qatar. The workshop gave representatives information about the World Championships and para-sporting in an effort to further engage people with disabilities in the country.
With just 10 days to go, the largest para-sport event ever to come to the Middle East will be held at Qatar Sports Club from October 21 to 31 and will see 1,400 para-athletes from 100 countries compete to be the best in the world and vie for qualifying spots to the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games. Tickets are on sale at https://doha2015.q-tickets.com and in Qatar Olympic Committee booths in Villaggio, City Centre and Landmark malls. All sale proceeds will be donated to charity.
Commenting on the importance of the workshop, Ameer Al Mulla, CEO of the Organising Committee and Executive Director of the Qatar Paralympic Committee, said: “Sport is a very powerful tool to empower and engage people with a disability of all ages and abilities. It is our aim to use the IPC Athletics World Championships to raise awareness about para-sport and disability and to inspire people everywhere to see that anything is possible. This workshop has enabled us to have an open dialogue with disability centres across Qatar in order to share information about the World Championships and to understand how we can fully engage people with a disability and leave a lasting legacy for generations to come.”
Several key disability centres, including Mada, Hope Qatar and the Awsaj Academy, attended the workshop. Al Mulla and Sheikha Asma Al Thani, Marketing Director of the Organising Committee, provided the centres information on the impact that the World Championships will have on breaking down barriers and changing perceptions about disability in Qatar and across the region, as well as sharing details about how their members can take part either as spectators or volunteers.
Attendees were encouraged to provide feedback on how the attendance of their members can be made as easy and straight forward as possible. The benefit of participating in sports on physical and mental health was also discussed and members were encouraged to sign up to participate in sports activities organised by the Qatar Paralympic
Committee.
Sheikha Asma Al Thani said: “It is our aim to use these World Championships to share the incredible stories of the athletes who are competing. We want to shine a spotlight on how these athletes have defied limitations and used sport to overcome adversity and achieve amazing feats. We hope that they inspire people everywhere to see that anything is possible despite circumstances, and empower them to achieve their goals. We encourage everyone to get their tickets now to support these incredible athletes.”
The Peninsula
