Sec. Gen. of Qatar Olympic Committee Confirms HH the Heir Apparent's attention to Sports and Environment

Manama, October 21 (QNA) - HE the Secretary General of Qatar Olympic Committee Sheikh Saud bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, stressed that HH the Heir Apparent Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, who is the Chairman of the Qatar Olympic Committee and member of the International Olympic Committee pays special attention to sport and environment. HE Sheikh Saud, said in a speech at the opening of the First GCC Environment and sports Conference , that HH the Heir Apparent made directives to observe and to emphasize on the environment and sustainability in all sport facilities and events in Qatar including the use of water recycling technology, in addition to studying the possibility of introducing this technology to the existing sport facilities. He added that HH the Heir Apparent takes this stance out of his personal belief in the close relationship between sport and the environment, not as a member of the International Olympic Committee or the Chairman of the GCC sport and environment Committee, indicating the importance of living in a clean environment, free from pollution for all individuals and for athletes specifically, in addition to the importance of emphasizing, as athletes, on that Sports should not contribute to any abuse of the environment in any way. He also noted that the International Olympic Committee added, in 2004, the environment as a third pillar besides sport and culture, adding that with this growing global attention to the relationship between sport and the environment, the State of Qatar was one of the leading countries in coping with these global initiatives, as it established the National Committee for Sport and Environment in 2006. HE Sheikh Saud said that this initiative and the growing global attention to environment are in line with the Qatar National Vision 2030, confirming faithful endeavors to spread the culture of sport and environment, not only in Qatar, but in other countries in the region, to preserve the planet for the coming generations. (QNA)