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A senior official from the Qatar Hockey Federation (QHF) said Qatar is preparing for an international league which will feature the world’s best club teams next year, according to Gulf times.
QHF secretary general Mohamed Abdul Nazer revealed that the Arabian Dream League would be similar to the leagues that are played in Europe and Asia that are played by members of IHF.
“We have plans to organise the Arabian Dream League, similar to premier leagues are that conducted by countries that are members of the International Hockey Federation (IHF),” Abdul Nazer said.
“If our dream turns into reality, such tournaments will spur the development of hockey in Qatar as well as the region, and I’m optimistic that many Qatari youth will excel in the sport,” Abdul Nazer added.
The QHF works under Qatar Olympic Committee. A budget for the proposed hockey stadium was passed by the committee in 2009 when Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman al-Thani was the genreal secretary.
Appreciating Sheikh Saoud for his interest and support in the development of field hockey in Qatar, Abdul Nazer added, “The QOC secretary general was surprised at the huge turnout of spectators at one of the international matches which he witnessed. We have good spectator support and top sports infrastructure so there is immense potential for hockey in Qatar. In fact the construction plans and drawings for the proposed 5,000-seater international hockey stadium are ready.”
Talking about the QHF’s plans, president Hassan al-Qadi said, “We want Qatar to be a hub for field hockey in the Arab world.
“There is a lot of potential in Qatar. We are a sports-loving country. We have successfully held so many major international tournaments. We have the best sports infrastructure. We are a small country, but with a big heart for sports.”
The QHF will host the first West Asian Championship in November this year with teams like Iran, the UAE, Oman and the hosts.
It will immediately be followed by the Doha Hockey Friendship Festival scheduled from November 18 to 22. The tournament will involve big teams from countries like India, Pakistan, and Malaysia. The teams such as Air India, PIA and Johor Bahru have comitted to this tournament.
