Everything we do at QF is for the country, the region, and to create potential global impact: Sheikha Hind
The session was moderated by Benny Bonsu, Director of Daily Content at the Olympic Channel.
'It's not only about creating a legacy for Qatar. Everything we do at Qatar Foundation is for the country, the region, and to create a potential global impact. When you think about our region and its two billion people, there is a real opportunity to view socioeconomic potential through the lens of sport, and to ensure sport is seen in a more sustainable and comprehensive way,' said HE Sheikha Hind.
Circle In—a name inspired by the image of sports teams huddling together to symbolise unity and shared purpose—aims to deliver accessible, safe, gender-inclusive, and sustainable community sports programmes and capacity-building pathways in the countries where it initially operates.
The initiative's first goal is to benefit up to 50,000 children and youth, and to train up to 5,000 coaches, teachers, and instructors to promote equality, inclusion, and education through sport. In a subsequent phase, Circle In will provide additional countries in the region with digital resources to help them develop localised, sport-based solutions to the challenges they face.
'I'm very proud of this partnership, because we're taking our expertise and learning in socioeconomic development through sports to different countries and finding local partners who can support our endeavours there,' Sheikha Hind told the summit.
'Even the name 'Circle In' reflects that this is a community project. It's not simply extracting something and placing it in a country. It's about co-creating something together.'
Sheikha Hind also explained how Qatar's sporting ethos, from the world-class events it hosts to the programmes and pathways it provides for everyone to embrace, enjoy, and excel in sports, is built on gaining knowledge and ideas from an international outlook, and adapting this to fit the culture and values of the nation and region.
She went on saying: 'When my country hosted the FIFA World Cup in 2022, the safest, most family-friendly, and most inclusive World Cup in history, I was very proud that we stuck to our values. This is important for any citizen when a sporting tournament comes to their country, that it is reflective of the values of that country.
'It's incredible to see the empowerment sports can bring. When I look at students from our school for children with autism participating in horse-riding classes, that is inclusive sports, and we do this across the board at Qatar Foundation. We ensure everyone has a space.
'Sports is part of the Qatari DNA, and so is social development. When we look at what Qatar has done, not just across the region but globally, it only made sense to naturally evolve and transition these two elements together, and so we have an opportunity to create even wider impact through sports in the context of socioeconomic development.'
For his part, Acting CEO of Education Above All Foundation, Mohamed Al Kubaisi said: 'Circle In is more than a sport-for-good initiative, it is a powerful extension of Education Above All Foundation's mission to ensure that every young person, especially those from marginalised backgrounds, has access to inclusive education and opportunities for personal growth.
'Through our collaboration with Qatar Foundation and the IOC, we are integrating sports with education to build resilient, empowered communities where youth can learn, thrive, and lead change, both inside the classroom and on the playing field.'
Through the Circle In collaboration, EAA Foundation is bringing its global expertise in education access, inclusion, and youth empowerment to ensure that the initiative not only promotes sport for development, but also drives learning outcomes and social inclusion for vulnerable groups. EAA's Foundation role includes integrating education and life skills into the design of sport-for-development programs, leveraging its partnerships in more than 60 countries to identify communities where Circle In can have maximum impact. With a focus on girls, children with disabilities, and marginalized youth, EAA Foundation will ensure that the initiative delivers holistic, sustainable, and measurable outcomes.
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