HE Mr Salah bin Ghanem Al Ali, Minister of Youth and Sports, opened the first Asian Youth Athletics Championships, organised by the Qatar federation on the track and field of the Suhaim bin Hamad Stadium at Qatar SC, with a large turnout of 41 Asian countries taking part, running until next Monday .
The opening ceremony began with the playing of the Qatari national anthem, and a parade of the countries taking part in the championship was held, and HE Major General Dahlan Al Hamad, chairman of the championship’s organising committee and president of the Asian and Qatar federations, gave a speech welcoming those present and the participants, and said
” From the land of Qatar .. the land of championships and achievements .. we declare the launch of the first Asian Youth Championships .. yes, this is the day that every lover of the mother of sports has long awaited .. the day of the ambitious generation seeking the chance to excel and reach the podium .. yes, it is the day of promising talent across our whole giant continent .. and yes, to everyone who took part in this event, because it announces its full blessing for a developed and successful future” .
Major General Al Hamad stressed that the first Youth Athletics Championships has special significance because it affirms attention to the grassroots and the new generation, and said ” we want it to be a championship that discovers the future through promising talent and searches for the future of a great continent through champions who love the challenge, because reaching excellence does not come from one talent without another but through teamwork, and from the grassroots to the top: ” .
Major General Al Hamad also confirmed that the Asian federation is seeking, through organising this championship, a future worthy of the greater continent and reaching world standard.
He addressed the participants and said “today, champions of the future and stars of tomorrow, you are on the land of the golden World Championships of the mother of sports in 2019, and we all hope to see a champion from this championship run or throw or clear the bar in order to secure a leading position at the world event, or to be the talent that snatches gold on land that loves excellence” .
The chairman of the organising committee confirmed that everyone understands that the launch of this championship came to complement the work of every federation and to support every talent and everyone who loves the mother of sports, calling for hard work and the provision of suitable conditions to achieve success and reach the intended goal .
Mohammed Jassim Al Kuwari, secretary general of the Qatar federation, then went, accompanied by Maurice Nicolas, secretary general of the Asian federation, to raise the championship flag, after which HE the Minister of Youth and Sports declared the competitions open
