Qatar is a sports-loving nation. In addition to traditional
sports such as falconry, camel racing, horse racing, and
traditional boat racing, modern sports are also popular —
particularly soccer.
Facilities include the 45,000-seat Khalifa International
Stadium and the Khalifa International Complex for Tennis and
Squash, as well as the Doha Golf
Club, a championship course. (See our video
on the Doha Golf Club.)
A few of the major events held in Qatar include:
- Qatar Masters Tournament - Held since 1998, this is a PGA event, which is on the European and Asian tour schedules. The Qatar Masters occurs in January, and is held at the Qatar Golf Club.
- Qatar Open Tennis Tournament (officially the Qatar ExxonMobil Open) - Held since 1993, when the inaugural winner of the men's singles event was Boris Becker, this event held in early January, and has men's singles and doubles events.
Qatar also played host to the XV Asian Games in 2006. The
games are regulated by the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA)
under the supervision of the International Olympic Committee
(IOC). And they have won the bid to host the FIFA World Cup in 2022.
