London, July 27 (QNA) – HE the Secretary General of Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) Sheikh Saud bin Abdurrahman Al-Thani has opened Bayt Qatar (the House of Qatar), launched on the sideline of London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games at the London s prestigious Institution of Engineering and Technology at Savoy Place (IET: Savoy Place).
The inauguration ceremony was attended by Qatar’s Ambassador to the United Kingdom Khalid bin Rashid Al-Mansouri, members of the International Olympic Committee, a number of QOC members and members of the Qatari administrative mission taking part in the Games.
QOC said Bayt Qatar combines all the characteristic of Qatar and the Arab world, starting from the Islamic ancient art to the Arab contemporary art, in addition to the works of many renowned photographers and sculptors and opens up new avenues for innovation born in Qatar, pointing out that the house will invite all Arab Olympic Committees to a breakfast banquet during the month Ramadan.
In a speech he delivered at the opening ceremony that the sport features of the “House of Qatar,” reflect the basis of all what we will do here in London, stressing that top priorities of Qatari athletes to provide the best possible performance in stadiums. They will also be the ambassadors for our country in the House of Qatar, during the Olympic Games’ events.
HE Sheikh Saud said : “We are proud that twelve athletes: eight youths and four girls will represent Qatar in this important sports gathering, and we are proud in particular of the fact that eight of these athletes are still under twenty years of age, and that one of our athletes in these Games, is Nasser Al-Attiyah, who will participate for the fifth time in the Olympics. “
He confirmed that the Qatar Olympic Committee and our sport community have worked very hard to perform well in this major sporting events, adding, “We, many years ago, have set to ourselves a long-term commitment to develop our youths and our girls, our men and women in various sporting activities, and here we are today reaping the fruit of our efforts at the highest levels of competition in the Olympic Games. “
HE Sheikh Saoud meanwhile praised the support the Qatari Olympic Committee receives from the International Olympic Committee, “whose officials helped us in every step we made in order to achieve our goals,” wishing the athletes every success during the coming days.
Bayt Qatar (House of Qatar) will offer members of the QOC, its stakeholders and partners, athletes, media and Olympic family guests a stunning, historic and convenient venue throughout the London 2012 Olympic Games where they can experience unique Qatari hospitality.
Bayt Qatar will showcase the works and initiatives of a selection of Qatari organisations that contributes towards Qatar s National Vision 2030 a vision that aims at transforming Qatar into an advanced country, capable of sustaining its own development for generations to come through a strategic framework that is underpinned by pillars of human, social, economic, and environmental development.
It is worth mentioning that, the Qatar made its first participation in Olympic Games in Montreal 1976 Canada with one administrative delegation , followed by the second participation in Los Angles 1984 Summer Olympic Games with three teams competed in the football , athletics and shooting.
On other hand, under the auspices of Qatar Museums Authority (QMA), Hey Ya: Arab Women in Sport is the first exhibition in London by the internationally renowned photographer Brigitte Lacombe with the documentary film-maker Marian Lacombe was opened in London on Wednesday.
HE Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Mansour bin Rashid Al-Khater, the Executive Chairman of QMA beside a number of Olympic and diplomatic leaders attended the event.
The exhibition features a brand new series of large-scale photographs by Brigitte Lacombe of more than 50 Arab sportswomen, from beginners to Olympians, from 20 different Arab countries. The images are shown alongside videos by her sister, Marian Lacombe, which situate the images within the women s personal histories and a wider discourse of gender, culture and sport in the Arab world. The exhibition is on show free to the public at Sotheby’s Gallery, London from 25 July until 11 August 2012.
