For the first time in the Middle East and North Africa, the 2022 Congress of World Association of Sport Management (WASM) will be held in Qatar.

The successful bidding file to host the 2022 WASM Congress in Qatar was a joint effort between Qatar University and Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), a member of Qatar Foundation.

This successful joint effort was supported by the Memorandum of Understanding between Qatar University and Qatar Foundation which focuses on strengthening cross-institutional collaborations in student learning activities, teaching, and in the field of research.

Qatar National Tourism Council (QNTC), Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC) represented by Josoor Institute, and Qatar Olympic Committee represented by Qatar Olympic Academy, supported Qatar’s hosting bid.

This will be another milestone for Qatar in preparation for hosting the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

WASM, which was formally established and operational on April 27, 2012, at Aletheia University in Taiwan, is an alliance of regional associations of sport management.

The mission of WASM is to facilitate sport management research, teaching and learning excellence, and professional practice.

The last WASM conference was held at the Universidad Santo Tomas in Santiago de Chile in 2019 and attracted 150 delegates from over 40 countries.

Hosting the Congress in Qatar in 2022 will for sure attract more international delegates of academics and professionals in sport management to participate in the congress, and to have close look to Qatar’s preparation for the mega event.

Dr. Karen Danylchuk, President, WASM, commented: “The World Association for Sport Management is delighted that Qatar University and Hamad Bin Khalifa University have accepted our offer to serve as co-hosts of the Fourth WASM conference in March 2022 in Doha, Qatar.”

“This is the first time that the WASM Conference, held every two to three years since its inception in 2012, has been held in the Middle East. Our previous three conferences in Madrid, Spain (2014), Kaunas, Lithuania (2017), and Santiago, Chile (2019) attracted leading sport management academicians, students, and industry leaders from over 40 countries and we are confident that the conference in Doha will prove to be another outstanding success,” Dr. Danylchuk mentioned.

President of Qatar University Dr Hassan Rashid Al-Dirham stated, “WASM Congress represents an important opportunity to bring together scholars and specialists of sport management and business of sport in Doha the capital of Qatar, the capital of sport, a few months before the 2022 FIFA World Cup.”

“For Qatar University, it is an occasion to contribute to the dissemination of knowledge with the participation of local and international experts and to showcase Qatar university’s contribution in research and development around the planning and management of mega sport event,” he added.

Dr. Ahmad M Hasnah, president of HBKU said, “It is a great honor for HBKU to win the bid to co-host the 2022 World Association of Sport Management Conference. As a member of Qatar Foundation, HBKU is steadfastly committed to supporting Qatar as the country makes its mark in the global sporting arena.”

“The sporting industry is pivotal in fostering health and overall well-being in society, and our recently introduced multidisciplinary academic programs are designed to promote scholarship and education, build in-demand skills, and leverage national aspirations for promoting health and well-being through sports in key sectors,” he underlined.

The strategic partners of the 2022 WASM Congress in Qatar event are: Qatar Olympic Academy/ Qatar Olympic Committee, Josoor Institute/ Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, and Qatar National Tourism Council.

The joint bidding team members are:

- Dr. Kamilla Swart-Arries, Associate Professor in Sport Management in College of Science and Engineering (CSE) at HBKU.

- Dr. Ahmed Al-Emadi, Professor in Sport Management and the Dean of College of Education

- Dr. Othman Mohammed Al Thawadi Assistant Professor in Marketing in College of Business and Economics

- Dr Mahfoud Amara, Associate Professor in Sport Policy and Management and Director of Sport Science Program in College of Arts and Science from Qatar University.

WASM 2022 Congress in Qatar will be an opportunity to promote education, research, and publications in the multi-disciplinary area of sport management in Qatar and in the region, including sport governance, sport policy, and strategy, sport marketing, sport and event management, among others.

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