The first edition of the Generation Amazing Festival 2019 has concluded successfully at Qatar Foundation Oxygen Park, bringing together a generation of young leaders gathered for the common purpose of using the power of football to inspire social change in their communities. This year’s festival was the first of its kind in Qatar, celebrating social inclusion and promoting gender equality as part of Generation Amazing’s mandate of using football to support the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and the Qatar National Vision 2030.

The closing ceremony of the GA Festival 2019 was attended by H.E. Hassan Al Thawadi, Secretary General of the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy, as well as high level dignitaries and representatives of the partners and supporters of the event.

During Festival 2019, SC Ambassadors Mubarak Mustafa, Adel Khamis, Wael Gomaa and Younis Mahmoud inspired youth with their presence, and participants got the chance to interact with global legends Tim Cahill, John Arne Riise, and FIFA Legends Michael Owen, Yaya Toure, Santiago Solari, Kristine Lilly, Steve McManaman, Bebeto and Julio Cesar.

140 youth participants from 24 countries, including Qatar, Oman, Jordan, Lebanon, Pakistan, India, the Philippines, Nepal, Italy, Belgium, the UK and Brazil, among many others nationalities, participated. In her welcome address to youth at the festival, Generation Amazing Marketing and Communications Director Moza Al Mohannadi said:

“You are the future game-changers. You are the future. Welcome to Generation Amazing, welcome to Qatar, welcome to the country that will host the World Cup 2022. I hope to see you here again and again, let’s get the Generation Amazing Festival 2019 started.”

Generation Amazing Partner Clubs – AS Roma, KAS Eupen, Leeds United and Sheffield F.C., all sent youth delegations alongside a participating delegation from Brazilian champions Flamengo who took part in the FIFA Club World Cup™. Also in attendance was a delegation from the English Football Association, while PSG Academy in Doha organised a series of football training sessions for participants. A football for good tournament rounded up the festival’s educational and entertainment experience and offered participants the chance to apply all the technical and personal skills they acquired throughout the festival.

Key highlights of the festival included football for development workshops, a football3 tournament, activities led by youth ambassadors, a FIFA Legends day, cultural performances and celebrity footballer events, as well as the chance to attend the semi-finals of the FIFA Club World Cup™ between Liverpool and Monterrey.

Youth met with Dutch football legend Johan Neeskens who gave an inspiring speech about the positive impact of football. In his talk he encouraged the youth to work together: “It doesn’t matter what colour you are or what belief you have, you can see in the programme here that football brings people together,” he said.

PSG Academy in Doha led a series of training sessions for youth ambassadors and attendees. During their time in Doha the young participants also got the chance to meet and engage in a Q&A with former Liverpool F.C. and England striker Michael Owen, who praised the Generation Amazing programme saying: “Football includes so many different types of life skills, and Generation Amazing is obviously doing a great job.”

The festival agenda featured unique cultural, networking and celebratory activities, including the Closing Awards and a visit of the iconic Qatar National Museum. Towards the end of their journey in Doha, participants got the opportunity to attend a FIFA Legends day which rounded up the festival with talks, training sessions and a match between star players and the young leaders.

Source: Press release

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Binu Cherian

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