Qatar Museum’s 3-2-1 Qatar Olympic and Sports Museum, one of the most innovative and technologically advanced museums in the region, has announced the opening of “Qatar Football History. Discover a Journey of 75 Years” exhibition at the historic Doha Stadium, sponsored by ACCIONA Cultura. The exhibition, on view from November 16 until 19 December, highlights the Qatari journey in football from the earliest days of playing on pitches made of sand, to the opening of Doha Stadium in the 1960’s, which was the first grass pitch stadium in the region. This exhibition was organized in cooperation with the Veteran Players Committee of Q.F.A.
Sharing Qatar’s fascinating football history over the past 75 years, the exhibition invites football fans and visitors to explore the first football stadium in the country, watch historic video footage of Qatari legends as well as three-time FIFA World Cup™ winner Pelé playing at the venue, listen to boxing legend Muhammad Ali speaking after a fight at Doha Stadium, as well as allowing them to play on the pitch. Qatar Football History is organised thematically covering five areas around the start and rise of the game in Qatar, the growth of Qatari football stars at Doha Stadium, the Qatari team of 1981 which surprised the football world on the pitch, hosting of the world’s greatest athletes over the last three decades, and major recent achievements with Qatar winning the bid to host the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ in 2010, and becoming Asian Champions in 2019.
President of the 3-2-1 Qatar Olympic and Sports Museum, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulla Al Thani
said, “The Qatar Football History Exhibition provides visitors an opportunity to learn about the history, culture and passion for football in our country. The exhibition holds a unique significance for Qatari fans and also showcases the long-standing love for sports in Qatar and the formation of football stars in maroon over the past 75 years.”
Centred around Qatari football achievements and other sports events that took place at Doha Stadium in the 1960’s and 1970’s, the exhibition will also showcase displays such as the golden boot trophies of Mansour Muftah as top Arab goalscorer, as well as the bronze foot of FIFA World Cup™ winner Pelé, and a display including goalkeeping gloves from the Qatar women’s football national team.
The Director of the 3-2-1 Qatar Olympic and Sports Museum, Abdulla Yousuf Al Mulla, said, “With Qatar ready to welcome the world for a celebration of global football, we believe this is the perfect time to showcase the country’s proud football heritage and history. I am sure that this exhibition will appeal both to Qatari and local audiences, as well as to those visiting our country and that it will make for a memorable experience for visitors during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.”
“Visitors to the exhibition can also learn of the importance of Doha Stadium in Qatar’s football and sports history and how important games were played at the venue during the formative years of our sports journey. The exhibition captures the passion, achievements and development of Qatari football and takes us right through to modern day football as the country becomes the first Arab host nation of the FIFA World Cup.”
Qatar Football History is a cultural extension of the World of Football exhibition, currently on view at the 321 Qatar Olympic and Sports Museum.
ACCIONA Cultura
ACCIONA Cultura is a global interdisciplinary company specializing in design and production of innovative and sustainable exhibitions, museums, pavilions for International Expositions and cultural events. Since 1992, ACCIONA Cultura has contributed to the creation of 150 exhibitions, 80 world-class museums and over 1,000 cultural events in more than 40 countries, in five continents. In addition to an extensive planning and design experience, the company has made an important contribution to the development of sustainable practices in exhibition planning and production, achieving carbon neutrality in 2016.
ACCIONA Cultura has a strong presence in the Museums, Exhibitions and Events sector in the Middle East. In Qatar, the company has recently delivered the Experience Al Jazeera exhibition and the Lusail Museum: Tales of a connected world for Qatar Museums. ACCIONA Cultura has also undertaken the museography works, fit-out and MEP for the 3-2-1 Qatar Olympic and Sports Museum, the world's largest museum dedicated to Olympics and sport.
ACCIONA Cultura has also been responsible for 150 media productions for the National Museum of Qatar; the museographic implementation of Msheireb Museums, and the production of various temporary exhibitions for Doha's Museum of Islamic Art and the Orientalist Museum.
cultura.acciona.com
About 3-2-1 Qatar Olympic and Sports Museum
The 3-2-1 Qatar Olympic and Sports Museum is Qatar's museum of sports history, offering an unforgettable and inspiring interactive journey through the history and legacy of sports and the Olympic Games. The museum delivers a multi-layered educational narrative that combines a comprehensive collection with state-of-the-art technology and documents the significance of sports in Qatar. One of the largest Olympic Museums in the world, 3-2-1 houses hundreds of objects from around the globe, from the origins of sports to the modern day. Through its participatory spaces and planned programming, the museum aims to inspire and engage its community and encourage the public to participate in sports and physical activity. The museum is located at Khalifa International Stadium, part of Qatar's Aspire Zone Foundation. The Khalifa International Stadium, originally built in 1976, is one of the sites used to host the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™. Abdulla Yousuf Al Mulla has served as the Director of 3-2-1 Qatar Olympic and Sports Museum since 2019.
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About Qatar Museums
Qatar Museums (QM), the nation’s preeminent institution for art and culture, provides authentic and inspiring cultural experiences through a growing network of museums, heritage sites, festivals, public art installations, and programmes. QM preserves and expands the nation’s cultural offerings, sharing art and culture from Qatar, the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia (MENASA) region with the world and enriching the lives of citizens, residents, and visitors.
Under the patronage of His Highness the Amir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, and led by its Chairperson, Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, QM has made Qatar a vibrant centre for the arts, culture, and education in the Middle East and beyond. QM is integral to the goal of developing an innovative, diverse, and progressive nation, bringing people together to ignite new thinking, spark critical cultural conversations, and amplify the voices of Qatar’s people. Since its founding in 2005, QM has overseen the development of museums and festivals including the Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) and MIA Park, Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art, the National Museum of Qatar (NMOQ), 3-2-1 Qatar Olympic and Sports Museum, QM Gallery Al Riwaq, QM Gallery Katara, and the Tasweer Qatar Photo Festival. Future projects include Dadu: Children’s Museum of Qatar, Art Mill Museum, Qatar Auto Museum and the Lusail Museum. Qatar also has one of the largest and most ambitious public art programmes in the world. Through its Department of Archaeology, QM spearheads several initiatives to preserve and restore Qatar’s historical sites and buildings. QM also initiates and supports Creative Hubs that nurture artistic talent and create opportunities to build a strong and sustainable cultural infrastructure. These include the Fire Station: Artist in Residence, M7 for innovation, fashion and design, and Liwan Design Studios and Labs. For more information visit https://qm.org.qa