The Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy (SC) has announced plans to expand its flagship CSR programme, Generation Amazing, into Kuwait, Oman, India and the Philippines.
The announcement was made at a gala event to celebrate the progamme's positive impact and forge new partnerships with the Qatar Players Association (QPA) and Streetfootballworld.
Both organisations will support Generation Amazing's expansion, joining existing programme partners: the Qatar Football Association (QFA), Your Health First – Sahtak Awalan, Maktaba, Think Beyond, Kick4Life , StreetLeague, Change Foundation, and Lovefutbol.
Through Football for Development initiatives that teach skills such as teamwork, leadership and communication, and through the construction of football pitches, Generation Amazing uses the power of football to instigate social change, break down social barriers, increase access to sport and enhance community integration in vulnerable communities.
So far, the programme has reached 33,000 beneficiaries in six countries so far and has a target of reaching one million people by 2022.
The event was attended by Nasser Al Khater, Assistant Secretary General for Tournament Affairs at the SC, as well as representatives from Generation Amazing's different partners. These included Fahad Thani Al Zaraa, QFA Director of Football Development, Salman Al Ansari, QPA President, Dr. Javaid Sheikh, Dean of Weill Cornell Medicine – Qatar, and Vladimir Borkovic, Director of Streetfootballworld.
During the event, the SC's Assistant Secretary General and partner representatives participated in a panel discussion highlighting the vision behind Generation Amazing, the programme's aims and the importance of corporate social responsibility generally.
Speaking during the panel discussion, the SC's Assistant Secretary General said: "Generation Amazing is a unique platform that utilises the power of football as a tool for social development, and forms an important element of the legacy plans we have put in place to ensure that the 2022 FIFA World Cup leaves a lasting legacy in Qatar and beyond."
"To date, the programme has reached more than 33,000 beneficiaries and 35 public and private schools in Qatar, working with 132 sports coaches, 50 football youth group football coaches, 15 Qatari football players from the QNB Stars League as local ambassadors, and workers from seven construction sites across Qatar. Internationally, it has reached communities in Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Nepal and Pakistan, having a significant positive impact on disenfranchised communities within these countries. This year, we look forward to seeing the programme continue delivering on its promises and expanding its geographical reach to benefit new communities in new countries."
Generation Amazing's new strategic partnership with the QPA also means 15 current Qatari football stars in the QNB Star League become programme ambassadors. These players include Khalfan Ibrahim Khalfan, Fuhaid Al Shammari, Saud Al Hajiri, Hassan Al Haydos, Soud Al Hajri, Soud Al Khater, Abdulaziz Hatem, Saad Al Dosari, Meshal Mubarak, Hilal Mohammed, Khalid Muftah, Belal Mohammed and Khokhi Bu Alam. Numerous former players are also participating, including Younes Ali, Hussain Al Rumaihi, Said Al Basheer, Wesam Rezeq, Ibrahim Al Ghanim, and Adel Lafi. Players in the new target countries of Kuwait and Oman will also become ambassadors, working with the programme to raise awareness of the importance of healthy lifestyles and physical activity amongst children and migrant worker communities.
Generation Amazing will also continue its social partnership with Sahtak Awalan – Your Health First, working together to set up the theory behind practical delivery, provide access to schools across Qatar and construct 20 green houses across 20 schools in Qatar. Additionally, the two parties will work together to set up schools' cafeterias that provide students with healthy food.
Globally, Generation Amazing inked a new partnership with Streetworldfootball to construct and renovate community football pitches in various vulnerable communities across the world. By doing so, these community spaces offer disenfranchised communities a platform for positive development, emphasising the power of football and utilising it as a tool for social development.
Footballing legend and Generation Amazing Ambassador Xavi was also presented with an award for his role in the programme's success at Thursday's event, which formed the latest step in Generation Amazing's efforts to enhance collaboration with local and international partners that support its objective of leaving a lasting social legacy long after the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar™ has concluded.
Fahad Thani Al Zaraa, QFA Director of Football Development, said: "We are proud of our partnership with Generation Amazing. This programme is unique and aims to make the legacy of the 2022 FIFA World Cup more sustainable. We at the QFA believe in the importance of football for all people, regardless of their age, and our partnership in this programme will increase both people's awareness of and interest in local football clubs".
Salman Al Ansari, QPA President, said: "We are proud of our partnership with General Amazing, which we believe is one of the most important legacy programmes the SC has. We believe that this programme will not only have an impact on the lives of the less fortunate, but also on the players who have been fortunate enough to be selected as ambassadors for this programme.
"The passion for the football is best manifested in such programmes, which demonstrate to the world that football brings people together despite our differences. This programme has already touched the lives of a large number of vulnerable people and I'm confident it will go on to do great things for new communities. We believe that the players themselves are the backbone of football and that the necessary social impact is best derived from them.
"Therefore, this partnership is essential for our social responsibility programme, which aims to motivate players to engage more with initiatives that better society as a whole. We are proud to see our players as ambassadors of Generation Amazing." Al Ansari added.