Sports in Qatar

Sport has always played an important role in the lives of Qatar’s residents, and most of Qatar's sporting venues are open to the public in an effort to encourage residents to adopt a healthy lifestyle through regular exercise.

Qatar has won praise in recent years for hosting a number of prestigious international sporting events, including the 15th Asian Games in December 2006. Annual international events held here include the Commercialbank Qatar Masters Golf Tournament, the Qatar ExxonMobil Open men’s tennis tournament, the Sony Ericsson WTA tournament for women, the Qatar Classic Squash Tournament, the MotoGP and World Superbike Championships, the Qatar Baja motor rally, the Qatar Table Tennis Open, the Sail the Gulf Regatta and the Tour of Qatar cycle challenge.

Qatar, with its world-class sporting facilities, now attracts many of the top international athletes, as well as high-profile celebrity spectators, to these exciting events.

Sports Venues

Aspire Zone

This impressive sports facility incorporates Aspire Sports Hall and Academy, Khalifa International Stadium, Hamad Aquatic Centre and the Women’s Sports Hall. During the year, Aspire runs a fitness programme, Aspire Active, and organises summer camps in July and August. For more information about Aspire, call 413 6000 or visit www.aspire.qa
 

Other sports venues:

• Al Sadd Sports Club
• Al Sheehaniya Camel Race Course
• Doha Golf Club
• Doha Racing & Equestrian Club
• Khalifa International Tennis & Squash Complex
• Lusail International Racing Circuit
• Lusail Olympic Shooting Range

Qatar’s Sports Federations:

• Athletics
• Basketball
• Billiards & Snooker
• Bowling
• Boxing
• Chess
• Cycling
• Equestrian
• Fencing
• Football
• Golf
• Gymnastics
• Handball
• Judo
• Karate & Taekwondo
• Motor & Motorcycle
• Marine Sports
• Sailing & Rowing
• Shooting & Archery
• Sports for Special Needs
• Sports for Women
• Squash
• Swimming
• Table Tennis
• Tennis
• Volleyball
• Weightlifting & Bodybuilding
• Wrestling

For contact details of the various Sports Federations, visit www.qatarolympics.org

Qatar Olympic Committee

Qatar’s Olympic Committee (QOC) was set up in 1979 to oversee the sports events and participation of national teams in international, regional and local competitions, in accordance with the Olympic Charter. Currently presided over by the Heir Apparent, HH Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, QOC has established Sports Federations to oversee individual sports. A vast range of sporting activities, for both adults and children at all levels of skill, is on offer in Qatar – see our Sports Activities pages for details. Our Sports Calendar will give you an idea of sporting events taking place in the next few months.