The Al Dafna Hall at the Sheraton Doha Hotel hosted the wonderful closing ceremony of the Qatar Athletics Federation for the 2008/2009 sporting season, attended by Mr Abdullah Al Zaini, the federation’s president, current and former board members, and the Qatari athletics family represented by the organising committee of the Qatar Super Grand Prix Athletics Championship 2009, along with media professionals, photographers, the administrative and technical staff of sports clubs, male and female athletes, guardians, officials and organisers.
HE Abdullah Al Zaini, the federation’s president, opened the closing ceremony with a speech in which he noted the great support Qatari athletics had received from HH Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Amir of Qatar, and the continuous attention of HH Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Crown Prince and President of the Qatar Olympic Committee.
He spoke about the achievements made by the federation, both by athletes and by administrators and technical staff serving on committees of the international and Asian federations. Brigadier General Dahlan Jumaan Al Hamad, who was among those honoured at the ceremony, also gave a speech in which he wished the Qatari athletics family further progress and prosperity. Mr Khalid Abdullah Al Mir, the federation’s former deputy president, was then honoured for his efforts during his time in office. The federation president also honoured the chairman and members of the organising committee of the Qatar Super Grand Prix Athletics Championship 2009 for their success in organising the event, as well as Qatar’s junior women’s team, which finished second at the GCC Championship in Doha in April 2009, and Qatar’s junior men’s team, which finished first at the GCC Championship in Qatif, Saudi Arabia, in April 2009.
In a thoughtful gesture, the federation also honoured retired athletes who had given a great deal to Qatar in international competitions: Abdulrahman Sultan Al Nubi, Bilal Saad, Khamis Abdullah Saif Al Din and Khalid Yousef Al Obaidli.
The federation president also honoured media professionals and photographers working in visual and print media, along with outstanding officials and organisers, and the administrative and technical staff of Al Sadd, winner of the overall excellence shield for the 2008/2009 season. He also honoured Qatar SC for hosting the federation’s domestic championships and the Qatar Super Grand Prix Athletics Championship 2009, the Aspire Academy for Sports Excellence, Score, the official sponsor of the federation’s domestic championships, and the Physical Education Department at the Ministry of Education for its cooperation in organising athletics festivals for primary school children.
Finally, the overall excellence shield was presented to the management of Al Sadd for accumulating the highest number of points in the federation’s championships during the 2008/2009 season.
