Qatari Athletes and the Olympic bid.

So if the Chinese player IS MARRIED to a Qatari, did he get a Qatari Citizenship OR just a Qatari Passport to play for Qatar?

I f we all have different nationalites competing for our own countries, it makes abit of a farce of it all. In the end Money will win through!![img_assist|nid=17864|title=Chicks dig Guys with skills|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=440|height=440]

I am not denying this but if the examples you cite have a passport for these countries then that makes them citizens with all the rights of citizens. To be given a passport only whilst competing is wrong. And these countries have very few foreigners as a percentage of their competing squads.

Size of population has nothing to do with it, how will Qatar build up from the grassroots competitive elite sportsmen if they circumvent the 'rules' by building a large squad of 'international' elites.

Ok I recant my point about the Chinese chess player.

I don't go to mythical places with strange men.

-- Douglas Adams, The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul.

I just want to point out that the US pingpong champion is Chinese

The champion weight lifter from france is African

The Netherlands have a Brazilian football player

the list is endless, all countries have nationals that have been given the passport right.

Now if 400,000 is the population of Qatar, 150,000 are at an age to compete, lets say 50,000 even want to. Then 25,000 are males (who are more likely to want to play) then you can see that our population is very limited. (I'm just making up estimates)

(Note: the chinese chess player who plays for Qatar is married to a Qatari and wasn't just given a passport)

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I see the IOC giving the games to the city that will receive the most sporting benefit for its country. 'Benefit' does not mean doing anything to win medals in the short term but rather developing a long term sporting culture, even if that means having to wait awhile to develop elite athlete status. This could work in Doha's favour if it ditches its present policy of buying non-nationals and solely concentrates on developing local talent however low level it is at the moment.

I don't go to mythical places with strange men.

-- Douglas Adams, The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul.

they have the school olympics(whatever that means) for this present academic year.

breaking any rules but they (Qatar Olympic Committee) are going against the spirit of the rules.

The main reason London was awarded the Olympics ahead of Paris was their commitment to foster youth participation in sport prior to the Games. Now, if Qatar have to go against the Olympic spirit just to take part in the majority of events, what do you conclude the IOC are going to think about their Olympic bid? I know it's 9yrs away but the decision will be made in two and Qatar better have some plan to present to the IOC - and quick! IMHO

I don't go to mythical places with strange men.

-- Douglas Adams, The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul.

how many of the locals watch Al Jazeera?

You mean there are "Aliens" in the team...lol

If you want him to represent your country he has to be a citizen of that country.

You cannot have a Cannadian Ben Johnson run for Qatar in Olympics & run for Cannada in World Championships.

Maybe it will take superstar atheletes the likes of Jesse Owens or Carl Lewis to make a mockery of such "Dual Passport Holdings".

To make sports familiar among youth you have to telecast each and every game of every single Tournament of any kind of sports in Qatar on Al Jazeera Channel.

Whenever Qatar Tennis Open is on They telecast only the CentreCourt matches or the famous player matches. Then they give out free coupons to anybody attending the Game to win a Landcruiser!!!

I guess they would prefer if they didnot have to go through the trouble to find commentators, Cameramen, data/Score keepers, script writers, Image/video/sound mixers etc just to telecast a "Game"!!!

The problem here is that the Olympic Laws are being shattered and trampled openly. The IOC says that the players have to be citizens of the country that they are representing for a minimum period of theree years before they can compete

Here they consider citizenship in the case of players as just giving them the passports. Do they players get any rights as the other citizens of Qatar? I have a friend who represents Qatar and he is thinking of leaving Qatar as soon as his request for immigration to Canada is accepted.

I know people in europe, north america and even in Asia who have been granted citizenship and they have the same rights as other citizens.

"The day will come when Qatar will need people but there wont be people willing to go there" Its a law of nature whatever goes up must come down.

If some seek medals, others seek money, Olympic laws are not broken, no one is pushed to do things against their will, everybody is happy, then why won't we let them be?

This reminds me of Gypsy, the Canadian PM, and the bedrooms of the people....hehehe

Qatar needs players that can win laurels for it and these players need money. As long as they are both happy lets let them stay happy that will not last very long.

The foriegners who represent Qatar in the games are faced with a dilemma. They are not Qataris but they represent Qatar. What happens is that when the foreigners are going abroad to take part in a competition, they are given the Qatari passport at the airport and when they come back they have to surrender that Qatari passport at the aiport. So to the outside world these people are Qataris as they represent Qatar but this citizenship is based on necessity that the Qatari government can withdraw their passport any time it wants to do so.

Wonder when will the IOC international olympic committee take notice of this policy??

There was a Lebanese Goalkeeper named Mohammed Wafa who was given citizenship and played for Qatar's National Football team during the 80s...he has since retired, but they allowed him to keep the citizenship and he still lives in Qatar as far as I know.

As for its effects on the bid...I doubt it will have any since so many other countries do it.

Stay safe all.

Perfection does not exist. The question therefore, is: what level of imperfection are we willing to settle for?

The case between America and GCC are different. As Mrs. said any ordinary person can apply immigration to America or Europe. Gulf countries are not giving citizenship to expats. They give a passport to athletes, but I don't think these athletes stay a long time here. During the asian games my Asian friends said its African games because there are too many African players represented GCC.

Why they change the religion also in the new passport? Do the GCC not give citizenship to non Muslim candidates?

Believe everything, Trust nothing . . .

I am referring to a team sport.

All countries that can afford it do this. Canada's runners all have wonderful Haitian and Dominican accents. It's just raises less of an eyebrow in a country where the citizenry is multicultral, then in a place like Qatar where the only citizens are the native population.

"You don't have to like me for who I am but we'll see what you're made of by what you make of me." Ani Difranco

You can drive on a few glasses of non-alcoholic anything. lol But Whiskey is Sacrosanct!!!

I don't go to mythical places with strange men.

-- Douglas Adams, The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul.

If that's the case then they should not really be representing Qatar in individual sporting events, I think it's different in the case of team events. Will it adversely affect the Olympic bid?

I don't go to mythical places with strange men.

-- Douglas Adams, The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul.

you can drive after a few glasses of non-alcoholic whiskey!

"Be strong but not arrogant

Be modest but not weak"

S.H

That was the year we thought we were going to win it. Who can forget Archie Gemmills sublime goal against Holland?

I had the Scotland top that year with Dalglish embazoned across the back with the number 7. My sister was also born that year and was supposed to come out a boy and be named Kenny Dalglish Wood. I have never forgiven her.

With my knowledge of a sport that is not among the "elite" sports here, players are issued a Qatari passport that is kept by management and only used for "official" travel and such. They are not given citizenship. Only one athlete in the sport has been given citizenship out of loads of African players. They are working with and training more local, teenage talent now to develop into national players.

There really is no point to non-alcoholic Whisky. lol

I don't go to mythical places with strange men.

-- Douglas Adams, The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul.

The true Glasgow club, older than Celtic or Rangers.

I don't go to mythical places with strange men.

-- Douglas Adams, The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul.

I only support whiskey...the non-alcoholic whiskey I mean!

But the Scottish team was superb in World Cup 1978..the times of Joe Jordan, Archie Gemmil & Kenny Dalglish..etc

"Be strong but not arrogant

Be modest but not weak"

S.H

I understand your point, England have used many West Indian born sportsmen - John Barnes, Lynfod Christie to name two but they did not become citizens to partake in sport.

I can understand having a link to a country through grandparents etc but I dont think the Chinese sportsmen have secret Qatari relatives! lol

Btw someone just sent me photos of Miss Arab World 2007!!! Bahrain won, and there was even a Miss Saudi Arabia!!!. Unfortunately don't know how to put them up here! Needless to say no swimming costumes.

I don't go to mythical places with strange men.

-- Douglas Adams, The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul.

A lot of foreign athletes in the US that represents America professionally actually go back to their home countries to represent them in the Olympics.

I hate, no sorry thats not a strong enough word, Glasgow Rankers and Celtic. I normally know them by their other names, namely "the Unwashed Masses" or "The Great Unwashed".

I am an Aberdeen FC supporter.

"Be strong but not arrogant

Be modest but not weak"

S.H

I wasn't America bashing by the way, merely using them as an example. My own country, Scotland has also done this in the past with English football players using the Grandparent/Aunty once played Bridge for the Scotland Ladies lawn Bowling team in 1930 tactic in order to get the player to play for us. We learnt the hard way though and have been unable to qualify for a major tournament since this happened. This may be our inability to pick good players though and we ended up with a load of gin soaked washed up has beens.

Anyway, its too early in the day for me to start getting into arguments. Can someone not post some pictures of naked ladies instead and we can comment on the pros and cons of cosmetic surgery?

to some extent, though offering a 'payment' is not usual. But the percentage of foreign born & raised competitors is small in other countries, in Qatar the percentage of elite athletes in that category is huge - thats the difference.

The American example is not on the same par as it's a nation of immigrants and once a citizen always a citizen - cant see this being applied in Qatar's case , or maybe I am wrong - does anybody know?

I don't go to mythical places with strange men.

-- Douglas Adams, The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul.

about america and other countries doing this, specially with Eastern European athletes, during the cold war as you said, but to be fair, you don't need to be a top athlete in order to be an american citizen. As an ordinary person, you can always apply for immigration to USA, you can get the citizenship by living/working there for many years, by being married to an american partner, by being born there...etc. Actually the origin of most Americans is from Europe, Asia, Africa..etc.

What I want to say is that the comparison with America is not fitting somehow, BUT...if you take a similar closed community like the Japanese, yes they have done it with Brazilian football players!

"Be strong but not arrogant

Be modest but not weak"

S.H

There were so many expats in the list of atheletes i might be mistaken, but even in the MOto Gp last year the expat list was there....

I think there should be a certain amount of pride involved when you represent your country. Money should not be an issue when it comes to the Olympics / World Cup etc but these athletes need financial backing nowadys to reach their true potential apparently. Unfortunately its a sign of the times, winning comes at any cost and money talks.

Then again, America has been offering nationlity to various sportstars over the years especially during the cold war. Its not a new phenonemon and its certainly not going to change anytime soon.

they lose their citizenship when they are no longer perform well in their chosen sport?

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