BY ARMSTRONG VAS
Doha: Qatar’s investment in Paris Saint German (PSG) is one of the best thing which has happened for French football, Jean-Piere Mougin, Secretary-General of French National Olympic and Sport Committee (FNOSC) said yesterday.
“It is good for the growth of football in France. It is good (sports investment) example and it will help in the development of PSG in French football and also at the European level. It is a good opportunity and we are happy that Qatar is investing in France and we are happy for this (PSG and Qatar) collaboration,” said Mougin.
The Secretary General of the FNOSC was speaking to The Peninsula yesterday after signing an agreement on behalf of FNOSC with Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC), at Aspire Dome on the second day of the four-day Aspire4Sport Congress.
Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman Al Thani Secretary-General of QOC signed the agreement on behalf of QOC.
The French official said that Qatari investments in France argue well for the sports and denied there was discord in French society on account of Qatari money making its way into French football.
“It is not true that Qatar is making selective investing in France.
“Everywhere you go you have some people who are against some decisions and proposal. Sports is sport for us, we have no problem. We have no barrier.
“We are happy to work with Qatar. For us it is big opportunity and for the two communities to work together,” said Mougin.
The agreement will see the Olympic Committees of Qatar and France share expertise and personnel in different fields of sports.
The two national Olympic committees will prepare a special agenda for collaboration for 2013, informed Mougin.
“Although, we formally ratified an agreement by signing a contract yesterday, we have been working together for the last six months,” disclosed the Secretary-General of FNOSC.
“We can collaborate in volleyball, basketball, fencing, shooting, cycling and in the medicine field because we have a lot of expertise (medical field) in France and we have a lot of experts in Qatar. We do not want it to be a big list (areas of cooperation). We want to be very precise and fulfill our mission.”
Mougin said the areas of cooperation will extend to both Olympic and non-Olympic sports, with motorcycling been one of the non-Olympic sports, where Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation (QMMF) and Fédération Française de Motocyclisme (FFM) can work together.
“I have been personally involved with motor cycling, so I know that in the past Qatar and France had worked together. QMMF and FFM had tied up for the endurance racing for the Qtel world championship in the past,” added Mougin.
The French official disclosed that 18 companies are taking part in the Aspire4Sports Congress.
The participating companies are specialists in different sports activities.
The four-day Congress ends tomorrow. THE PENINSULA
