Dr. Mahfoud Amara
The sports industry has undergone remarkable growth, epitomized by the colossal scale of mega sports events in terms of budget allocation, infrastructure development, and stadium capacity. These initiatives are strategically aimed at augmenting revenues for international sports organizations and their partners, including media entities in pursuit of a broader viewership and sponsorship deals to bolster brand recognition and foster fan loyalty. However, this meteoric growth has spurred a multitude of inquiries into its long-term sustainability.
Within this context, sustainability assumes multifaceted dimensions. It encompasses the development of sports infrastructure and venues that provide a safe and inclusive environment for sports enthusiasts.
Sustainability also entails optimizing the utility of these facilities from financial, environmental, and economic perspectives, thereby ensuring job creation and stimulating local development opportunities.
Moreover, sustainability implies the enhancement of expertise in managing sports facilities, events, and programs at both national and local levels, fostering the growth of homegrown professionals. It extends to the creation of an ecosystem that supplies products and services directly and indirectly related to the sports system, spanning sports practice, competition, event management, manufacturing, and creative endeavours.
Furthermore, it entails leveraging technology’s potential to bridge the gap between the physical and virtual realms to increase the national rate for physical activity as public health priority. While it is crucial to actively engage with and embrace modern technology, the preservation of a country’s sporting heritage is of equal importance. This commitment to heritage is exemplified by the 321 Qatar Olympic and Sport Museum, serving both as a repository for local sports artifacts and as a hub for educational initiatives, imparting the significance of sports in the nation’s (and the region’s ) history to the educational system.
Sustainability also encompasses the production and dissemination of scientific knowledge. Qatar’s strategic engagement with sports has made significant contributions to scientific output across various domains of sports sciences. Academic and research institutions such as Qatar University, Hamed Bin Khalifa University, and the Sports Medicine institution ASPETAR to name but a few have played pivotal roles in this regard, positioning Qatar as a hub for the exchange of cutting-edge research in sports sciences.
This spans from exercise sciences and physical activity to sport management and social sciences. Over the past decade, Qatar has hosted a series of prominent sports events and high-quality conferences, underscoring the pivotal role of these academic and research entities in training local students and practitioners, thereby bridging the gap between pedagogy and research.
This hands-on experience within Qatar’s distinctive sports context facilitates a global perspective while grounding actions locally.
Another facet of sustainability lies in the accentuation of principles governing good governance and the values of social cohesion and solidarity within sports organizations and activities.
These principles serve as the bedrock for sports programs and activities, fostering a sense of unity and collaboration while optimizing human and financial resources.
The FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 was merely the beginning of Qatar’s remarkable sporting journey.
With a wealth of insights gained, both Qatar and the broader region are primed to sustain their momentum, strategically applying the principles of sustainability to not only enhance their stature in the domain of sports but also extend their impact far beyond it.
Dr. Mahfoud Amara is an Associate Professor in Sport Social Sciences and Management at Qatar University
Dr. Mahfoud Amara is an Associate Professor in Sport Social Sciences and Management at Qatar University.
