They are golfers or they practice clay pigeon shooting or even rowing. Qatari women shine in their sport at the highest level and are a source of inspiration for their young compatriots. We met several of them. Together with them, we discover what it means to reach the top of a sporting discipline.
Feminize the practice of golf
Member of the Qatar national golf team since 2008, Yasmian Ganem contributes to Qatar’s efforts to nurture golf talent, especially female talent. She often visits local schools and colleges to encourage young girls to get involved in golf or whatever sport they are passionate about. its headquarters, Doha golf club has been striving since 1996 to make the sport more open to women. There are courses for beginners and a dynamic section for women.
Another golf course in Doha, theEducation City Golf Club Opened to the public in 2019 and with 8,000 hours of training per year, it also strives to attract female golfers. Their trainers come from all over the world american rachel choi who teaches the children of the club to perfect their swing. In her classes, she is pleased to welcome as many girls as boys to the facility’s “Center of Excellence.”
A platform dedicated to women’s sport
the Qatar Women’s Sports Committee works to support and develop opportunities for women in sport. Her president, Lolwa Al Marri, has her vision for the future of women’s sport in Qatar: “The country encourages women to play sports”, she says before adding: “Since Qatar’s announcement to host all these major sporting events in tennis or athletics, we realize that people here have a passion for sport.”
The role of her committee is to work with national federations and the Qatar Olympic Committee, of which she is a member, to establish teams that represent Qatar and encourage women of all ages to play sports.“The first time female athletes represented Qatar at the Olympic Games was in 2012,” says Lolwa Al Marri. “Then we went to the Rio Olympics, where we didn’t have any medals,” She continues. “So of course we are working towards it and we will achieve it, it is our dream and I think it is going to come true.” she assures.
athletics heroine
Maryam Farid is a star of Qatari athletics. When she was just 16 years old, she was part of the team that submitted Qatar’s bid to host the World Championships in Athletics.
“Nous devons avoir avantage de femmes compétitrices dans la région pour qu’elles soient une source d’inspiration pour d’autres, mais aussi avantage de femmes qui font ce qu’elles aiment, que pratiquent un sport et brisent les stéréotypes sur la femme in the region,” she points.
The oar, a symbol of equality between men and women
Tala AbujbaraHe, for his part, likes to evolve on the water in the open air. She was the first Qatari woman to compete in rowing events at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
“Rowing has probably done more than other disciplines in terms of gender equality and opportunities for women in sport. At the Olympics, for example, there were as many women as men competing.” she points. “Another thing I love about rowing is that when you watch a race from afar you can’t tell if it’s men or women rowing, you’re covering the exact same distances, it’s the same events, the same gear, the same suits and for me it’s something very nice and specific to this sport”, She believes.
point to the sky
Reem Al Sharshani He started throwing at the plate when he was only 15 years old. Now in her twenties, she is a World Cup bronze medalist in her discipline.
The young woman is part of the Qatar team and has big goals for the future: “I want to participate in the Olympic Games, to make my family and my country proud.” she confesses before adding: “It’s one of my dreams and I want to be a role model.”
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