South Korean students visit QOC headquarters

A delegation of students from South Korea visited the Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) headquarters on Monday to familiarise themselves with the working of country’s governing body for promotion of sporting events and activities hosted by Qatar. The visit came in the frame of the ‘Global Youth Leadership Training Programme’ organised by the Seoul Youth Center for Cultural Exchange (SYCCE). Douglas, a university student and programme co-ordinator, chaired the delegation, which consists of six students from secondary and preparatory schools. The South Korean students, who are in Doha on a week-long visit, received a warm reception from QOC officials at the PRMD and the secretariat-general. The delegation was briefed about the social, cultural and economic life of different sectors in the country. A brief summary was given about QOC’s foundation and membership with other associations worldwide. The visiting students received a presentation on the significant role played by the Sport Affairs and Engineering Project Departments that work under the theme ‘Sport for Life’. In response to the visitors’ queries, the officials explained QOC’s aim in promoting sport and psychological reform in the country to achieve homogenous growth between men and women in the frame of Olympic values, in accordance with the Olympic Charter. The country’s governing sport body played a significant role in spreading Olympic awareness among individuals, focusing on educational programmes of physical fitness and sport for schools and universities to support the country in hosting regional, international and continental championships. Qatar organises 40 different sporting events annually at continental and international levels including: FIVB Club World Championship and Super Globe 2011, as well as championships in gymnastics, billiards and snooker, sailing, fencing, squash, tennis, table tennis and the AFC Cup of nations. The visitors were also briefed about Qatar’s arrangements to host the 12th edition of the Arab Games in December 2011, with the participation of more than 10,000 athletes representing 22 Arab nations. Regarding the social programmes hosted by the QOC, a brief summary was given about 12 annual programmes organised by the governing sport body for the local community, including Winter Camp, Water Games, Electronic Games and the Sport for All Programme.