Wide public and media attention greeted the magnificent celebration held by “Qatar House in Brazil” for the brilliant Olympic achievement of champion Mutaz Essa Barshim, held in his honour on the occasion of his crowning with the Olympic silver medal in the high jump at the Rio 2016 Olympics .. the celebration was graced by the presence and patronage of HE Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani, president of the Qatar Olympic Committee and head of our delegation taking part in the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, who was gracious enough to honour our world champion Mutaz Essa Barshim, holder of the historic Olympic double for the State of Qatar, bronze in London 2012 and silver in Rio 2016. The ceremony was attended by HE Dr Thani bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, secretary-general of the Qatar Olympic Committee, Mr Essa Al Fadala, director of the Qatari sporting administrative mission taking part in Rio, and Mr Khalifa Abdulmalik, director of the national athletics teams, and Khalid Al Marri, assistant director of the national athletics teams, along with all members of our sporting delegation and the Qatar House family in Rio, in addition to a group of members of the diplomatic missions in Rio de Janeiro, and a large Brazilian crowd who followed with great interest the segments of the wonderful celebration held by “Qatar House”, a symbol of hospitality and heritage at the Rio 2016 Olympics, in joy and delight at this historic sporting achievement, which painted an expressive picture of the meanings of pride and honour in one of the nation’s sons and a hero of hardship, who raised Qatar’s flag high and flying in the heart of the Olympic host city Rio 2016.
Special honour for the Olympian
Barshim: Joaan’s support motivated me to excel
The honouring ceremony began with the arrival of HE Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani, president of the Qatar Olympic Committee and head of the Qatari sporting delegation taking part in the Olympics, at Qatar House, the venue of the celebration, then the entry of our champion Mutaz Barshim into the courtyard of the Qatar House market, the venue of the event, accompanied by the bicycle that had led the Qatari delegation’s procession at the opening ceremony of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, and our champion received a warm welcome with showers of coloured paper released
Dr Thani Al Kuwari: the evening of the honouring will remain etched forever in Mutaz Barshim’s mind
HE Dr Thani, secretary-general of the Qatar Olympic Committee, expressed his happiness at the honouring ceremony, saying:”We are all at the Qatar Olympic Committee proud of Mutaz and his great achievement. He has given the State of Qatar its first Olympic silver medal in its history, and we are very happy to celebrate his victory at Qatar House with the Rio crowd, as this victory reflects our loftiest goal, which is uniting people through the celebration of sport. We hope Mutaz’s Olympic silver, which he won here in Rio, will be his launchpad towards achieving even greater victories, and a reason to inspire Qatari youth to always aspire to achieve the best. Qatar House is home to Mutaz and to all members of our Qatari team here, and we hope this night will remain an eternal Qatari memory in Mutaz’s mind, from which he launches towards victory in the three upcoming championships this year, before he returns to Doha”.
And after the celebration, the high jump star was presented with the Qatari flag bearing the signatures of all members of the Qatari delegation, then he joined HE Sheikh Joaan and Dr Thani and a number of members of the Qatari delegation at the reception held in the wonderful athletes’ hall. It is worth noting that after the end of the Olympic Games, the historic Casa Daros building, which houses Qatar House, will be turned into a bilingual state school, and the Qatar Olympic Committee will contribute to building the school’s library as part of the legacy it leaves behind in Rio 2016. Qatar House received tremendous hospitality and welcome from the people of Rio, with all entry tickets sold out until the end of the Olympics just four days after it opened, and all ticket proceeds will be donated to the Brazilian NGO Futuro Olimpico (Olympic Future), which aims to support promising young athletes in Rio in their sporting careers.
