Qatar Foundation and Volkswagen Middle East have signed an agreement to support capacity-building programmes for women and girls in football.

Her Excellency Sheikha Hind bint Hamad Al Thani, Vice Chairperson and CEO of Qatar Foundation (QF), Sheikha Hanadi Al-Thani, Chairperson of Q-Auto, Matthias Ziegler, Managing Director of Volkswagen Middle East, and other dignitaries were present at the launch of the partnership.

A football clinic was organised by QF’s Pre-University Education schools with a group of young female athletes during the launch.

Players had the opportunity to interact with senior members of QF and Volkswagen, share their thoughts on how sport has positively impacted them and discuss the opportunities that will be made available to them as a result of the agreement.

The partnership will see Volkswagen Middle East sponsor programmes and events such as the Women & Girls Football Initiative – a tournament that supports grassroots and amateur female athletes. The tournament will take place as part of QF’s upcoming 2023-2024 women’s football season and will include local and international teams.

“We believe that everyone, including women and girls, should have opportunities to participate in sports,” said Machaille Hassan Al-Naimi, Executive Officer of the Vice Chairperson and CEO Office of Qatar Foundation.

“Sport instills healthy mindsets, encourages discipline, teaches leadership skills and demonstrates the values of teamwork; it helps people to develop a sense of identity and community and builds confidence and determination. Hosting the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 was a testament to the value that sport brings, not only to Qatar, but to our wider society and we want to build on that legacy by affording girls more opportunities to refine their skills and excel.”

Volkswagen Middle East will continue its cooperation with QF’s development programmes, building on the success of the Future Leaders in Football summit, previously sponsored by Volkswagen and the German Football Team.

“Our partnership with Qatar Foundation represents a continuation of our commitment to support women in sports, particularly in football, and to provide them with tangible opportunities,” said Matthias Ziegler.

“Through this partnership, we are not just sponsoring events, we are nurturing dreams and creating a more inclusive future for the sport of football. We look forward to working with Qatar Foundation in harnessing the power of sports to foster the next generation of leaders.” ✤

GO: VISIT QF.ORG.QA FOR MORE INFORMATION.