The Establishment of the Qatar National Olympic Committee: Building the National Sport Identity

Abstract

This paper examines the process of the establishment of the Qatar National Olympic Committee (QOC) in the late 1970s as part of a nation-building process. Qatar was one of the British protectorates in the Gulf region having its international relations controlled by Britain. On September 3, 1971, the country's Heir Apparent appeared on local TV and announced Qatar's independence. In the following years, the new Amir started a campaign of nation-building. Sport played an important part in this campaign, facilitating the formation of a national identity. Meanwhile, sports federations in Qatar began to apply for membership of their respective International Federations (IFs). In order to send athletes to the Olympics, the QOC was established in 1979 and it was recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 1980. The primary written sources used in this paper are official documents from the IOC, the IFs and the Official Gazette of the State of Qatar. The establishment of the QOC can be seen as part of the process of nation-building experienced by Qatar after its independence. International sports events were used to win international recognition, and investments in infrastructure, sports facilities and elite sport were seen by the Qatar government as an important approach to boost the country's international representation. However, in order to join the Olympic movement and raise Qatar's national flag at international sporting events, the QOC had to revise its Constitution to meet all the requirements of the IOC.