Chairperson and CEO of Qatar Foundation H E Sheikha Hind bint Hamad Al Thani (second right), H E Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani (third right), FIFA President Gianni Infantino (first right), and Secretary-General of the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy Hassan Al Thawadi (fourth right), during the opening of the Youth Festival. Pic: Abdul Basit
The Generation Amazing Foundation opened its annual Youth Festival yesterday, which coincides with the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 legacy initiative by the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy successfully reaching 1 million beneficiaries.
The youth festival is the first-ever sport for development and cultural exchange programme of its kind to take place ahead of a FIFA World Cup.
The opening ceremony held at the Education City was attended by distinguished guests including H E Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Chairperson and CEO of Qatar Foundation H E Sheikha Hind bint Hamad Al Thani, Secretary General of the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy Hassan Al Thawadi, and FIFA President Gianni Infantino.
“Our vision was that the World Cup in Qatar would build new bridges of understanding between our region and the rest of the world by providing a unique opportunity to connect through the shared passion for football with our identity and culture. Not only dispel negative stereotypes, but to create new friendships between people of all nationalities, and especially with the youth from different walks of life based on mutual understanding, respect and shared dreams for a better world,” said Thawadi.
He said that as part of the bid, Generation Amazing was established in 2009 as human and social legacy programme.
“I am happy to announce that Generation Amazing is now officially a foundation that will continue to empower and unlock human potential and will cement its role as a centre for youth excellence and leadership around the world for many years to come,” he said.
More than 300 students selected from local and international schools represent the 32 competing nations have travelled to Qatar to participate in a week-long Festival, comprised of football for development workshops and activities.
“Generation Amazing is exactly the kind of projects we want to see all over the world,” said FIFA President Gianni Infantino.
Emphasizing that only some hours are left for the first kick of FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, Infantino said, “I want to put on record as well my not only thanks, but also my congratulations to H H Amir, and to the whole of Qatar for putting up such an amazing World Cup. Shukran,” he said.
“I think, for the next one month we need to change the name of Qatar into FIFA land, because it really looks like a park where we can enjoy day and night not just football but unity. That’s exactly what Generation Amazing is doing as well,” he added.
For more than a decade, the Generation Amazing Foundation has leveraged the power of sport to positively impact people’s lives and create sustainable social development in communities across Qatar and around the world.
Members of the Generation Amazing Youth Ambassadors Programme run football for development initiatives in countries around the world and some of the shared their stories during the opening ceremony of the Youth Festival.
