Mariam Farid during the Web Summit Qatar 2024. Pic: Rajan VAdakkemuriyil
Doha, Qatar: Qatar has transformed itself into a sports hub with hosting global tournaments and inspiring young athletes, especially women.
The country’s talented athlete Mariam Farid took the stage on ‘breaking barriers in women’s sports’ during the Web Summit Qatar 2024, which concluded recently.
Speaking to The Peninsula on the sidelines of the Summit, Farid remarked on Qatar’s avidity in organising mega sporting events, which creates a positive impact on the youths.
She said: “There’s a huge change and this is normal around the world. There’s increasing growth in focusing on sports and I think we are privileged as women in the country to be supported by the government and its people.”
Qatar's Mariam Farid in action during the women’s 400 metres hurdles heats during the IAAF World Athletics Championships Doha 2019, in this file photo.
The Northwestern alumni represented Qatar at the 17th World Athletics Championship in 2019 in Doha.
The communications graduate expressed her delight in being chosen as the ambassador for the World Championship of track and field.
Outlining the key highlights of her session, Farid said “It’s an honour and a privilege actually to be part of Web Summit. It’s very big and not just a platform but you’re bringing the whole world together and Qatar is taking the lead in hosting the biggest events around the world, from the World Cup to Formula One to World championship athletics across all types of fields, technology, and sports.
Farid remarked that being one of the spokespersons at the Summit is an achievement having to represent the country and the region.
“It’s a very big responsibility because I’m not just representing myself but an Arab, Muslim, Qatari, and GCC woman, she said.
To a question about her inspiration to take up sports at a very early age, the athlete said: “My inspiration is what I love what I do and I grew up wanting to be a runner, who does it professionally and even for fun until it went to a bigger stage where I compete internationally.”
“I go around the world and I’ve been competing as one of the first in two World Championships, Asian games, and earned medals in the GCC,” Farid said.
She also lauded women taking a crucial role in not just sports but its administration saying, “Women are highly educated in Qatar. There are a lot of women around Qatar in different fields who are leading. Even if in some entities, they’re not leading, they don’t compete but work alongside men.”
Farid also expressed her optimism in women breaking barriers across the country and region in the years ahead.
“It’s all a matter of time for women wanting to pursue sports. The reach of women in a specific field is there and there’s nothing that is hard to achieve and there’s nothing wrong to dream of,” she added.
