Sports diplomacy: Over 40 ambassadors play football; Europeans win gold, Asia silver

The 7 vs 7 tournament consisted of four teams: Africa, America, Asia & Europe

NT Bureau

Doha: The Generation Amazing Foundation, in collaboration with the Doha Ambassadors Football Club and with the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Qatar, held a football tournament recently.

The event, held on March 8, 2024, marked the one-year anniversary of the Ambassadors’ Football Club, celebrating the enduring legacy of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.

Over 40 ambassadors participated in a 7 vs 7 tournament consisting of 4 teams: Africa, America, Asia & Europe, where Europe won gold and Asia won silver. The event served as a platform for cultivating friendly relations and strengthening the bonds among various diplomatic missions in Qatar.

It underscored Qatar’s dedication to sports diplomacy, highlighting the nation’s state-of-the-art sports infrastructure and its ambition to host future global sporting events.

The tournament was conceived as a continuation of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022’s legacy.

“As last year’s programme is coming to an end, we are proud to celebrate with the Doha Ambassadors Football Club on what has been a fun day bringing together a wide range of nations through friendly competition,” commented Nasser Al-Khori, Executive Director of Generation Amazing Foundation. “With events like these, we highlight how sports can foster unity, build bonds and further global collaboration efforts”. 

The initiative opens avenues for cooperation in sports development, offering opportunities for countries to engage with one another in a casual setting.

“Our Football Club consists of over 40 ambassadors who for the most part, after having experienced the FIFA World Cup here in Doha, manifested a strong interest in capturing some of the excitement and enjoyment that the World Cup provided.  So, we can say in essence that, the Doha Ambassadors Football Club is part of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 legacy,” said Arman Issagaliyev, Ambassador of Kazakhstan.