Panel Of Female Athletes At QF Emphasize Role Of Opportunities In Empowering Girls In Sports

Accomplished athletes discussed the challenges that women, especially Muslim women, face in the field of sports, in an inspiring talk that highlighted the importance of providing opportunities for girls and women to enable them to break down barriers.

The talk, which was open to women only, was held as part of National Sport Day activities in Qatar Foundation’s Education City Stadium, provided a unique opportunity to gain insights from accomplished athletes.

Titled ‘Champion Mindset: Unlocking Greatness’, the talk featured Tunisian tennis star Ons Jabeur; Ibtihaj Muhammad, an American Olympian sabre fencer and the first Muslim American woman to wear a headscarf while competing in the Olympics; and former Scottish middle- and long-distance Olympian runner Liz McColgan. It was moderated by Qatari mountaineer Sheikha Asma Al Thani, Director of Marketing and International Cooperation Sector, Qatar Olympic Committee.

Ibtihaj Muhammad spoke about her journey from her humble beginnings to Olympic glory, saying: “As a Muslim girl, and a girl who wears the Hijab, I never imagined that one day I would get my chance to become a professional athlete. But my goals were consistent from the very beginning – I believed that sport is for everyone, and this is where we can break all the stereotypes that people may place on us.

“Throughout my career as a professional athlete, I was told that I was not strong enough, and that my skin was too dark to be good at what I did. There are people who don’t want to see us on the football field or on the fencing field, but I was fighting, not just for my place, but for each one of us, so that our children are able to see themselves in sport.”

Agreeing with what Muhammad said, Ons Jabeur – who is also the first Arab and African Grand Slam finalist – said that as Arab women, “we must believe that we deserve our place in sports, paving the way for future generations.”

She said that as a Muslim player, she felt like she was always an outsider while touring on tennis tournaments. But, she says: “I wanted to show everyone that it's possible to see a Tunisian Arab Muslim woman participating in the highest level of the Women's Tennis Association (WTA). So, my goal has always been to achieve an something that had never been reached before.”

Stressing that change begins with providing opportunities for girls to practice sports, and creating an enabling environment with the aim of empowering them, Liz McColgan narrated her experiences of how she became a professional athlete.

She came from a very poor background, and as a child was overweight. But, as luck would have it, one of the teachers at school allowed her to play field hockey, and although she was not the best, she insisted on continuing to play, and eventually joined a local club.

She trained well at the club, and eventually caught the attention of a coach from the US who offered her a scholarship.

“This opportunity changed my life,” she says.

“Success was not something I could have imagined when I was a child because of the lack of opportunities. Now, I advocate giving opportunities to the next generation, so they make achievements through hard work and belief in themselves. I faced challenges, such as being excluded by sponsors when I became pregnant, but I persevered and achieved greater success.”

McColgan points to the importance of promoting physical education from an early age. “Statistics indicate that in the Middle East region, 70 percent of girls turn away from sports at the age of 12. These are worrying numbers and indicate the need for support to be provided to them.”

And it does not end at the facilities or support being provided, she says, “it is about using these resources effectively.”

She believes that the opportunities available to girls in Qatar will be much better than what she had as a child. “I am excited to see the champions these girls will become, starting from here – Education City.”