Officials from Qatar Football Association (QFA) and members of the Indian community met recently to discuss the participation of the community in upcoming football matches.
Qatar is slated to play a qualifying match for the 2018 FIFA World Cup against Hong Kong on March 24 at Al Sadd Stadium.
The meeting was attended by Khalid al-Kuwari, adviser to Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa bin Ahmed al-Thani, president of QFA; Mohamed Rashid al-Khater, audience relations officer; Mohamed Quthb, community leader - Asian Communities Football Tournament (ACFT), QFA; M S Bukhari, general manager, Satco International; Dr Mohan Thomas, founder-chairman of Birla Public School; Abdul Rahman E P, president of QIA; Mohd Habibun Nabi, chief patron of AMU Alumni Association; Safeer Rahman, COO of Qatar Indian Association for Sports and Games; and manager of Team India for Asian Communities Football Tournament by QFA; and representatives from other organisations.
Al-Kuwari thanked the Indian community and, in particular, Dr Thomas, Bukhari and Quthb for their consistent support to QFA. He also recalled the support given by the Indian community during the Asian Football Cup and Pan-Arab Games in 2011.
“Record attendance is expected for the event as the Indian community members vowed to mobilise and ensure maximum attendance from schools, families, community leaders and various organisations working under the Indian Cultural Centre (ICC) and other major organisations affiliated to ICC under the aegis of the embassy of India,”
according to a statement.
The Indian community will sponsor tickets for those who wish to attend the match on a first-come first-served basis.
Al-Kuwari also endorsed a proposal by Quthb that a committee, with a larger representation of the community, will work with QFA for future football games until the 2022 FIFA World Cup.