São Paulo – The Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) brought to Rio de Janeiro a piece of the Arab country to introduce it to Brazilians during the Olympic Games. This Thursday (4), in Botafogo, Bayt Qatar (Qatar House in Arabic) will open to the public. The place will present dances and typical dishes, films, fashion exhibitions, arts, henna painting and other activities. Bayt Qatar will be open to visitors until August 21.
“Bayt Qatar will provide an opportunity for visitors to discover Qatar without leaving Rio. There will be a souq [Arab market] with traditional activities including sword dancing, henna painting and Arabic calligraphy, plus interactive and innovative exhibitions that will take visitors on a journey of Qatar’s history, heritage and development into a global sports hub. There will also be a gift shop with an opportunity to buy traditional Qatari gifts”, explained Thani Abdulrahman Al Kuwari, Qatar Olympic Committee’s secretary general in an interview via email to ANBA.
On Wednesday (3) night, the place held an opening ceremony for guests. Those from the general public interested in visiting Bayt Qatar needs to register online at www.baytqatar.qa and donate BRL 20 (USD 6.24) to the Brazilian NGO Olympic Future. With the donation, the visitor will be served two dishes created by chef Alex Atala.
“Bayt Qatar will showcase Qatar’s warm hospitality, welcoming culture and love of food and life. There will be live musical performances, fashion shows, movie nights, children’s arts and crafts sessions, and much more”, said Al Kuwari.
Legacy
To showcase its culture and the talent of its athletes and its culture aren’t the only goals of the Qatar Olympic Committee. The organization also wishes to contribute with the training of new athletes and the education of Brazilian youth.
The committee has created Project Shine, which aims to take low-income athletes from Rio de Janeiro to training periods at Aspire Academy for Sporting Excellence. Created in 2004, the academy works on sports and educational formation of young athletes. There, they receive the guidance and support of sports science experts.
“To deliver the Shine Project, QOC, Qatar Athletics Federation and Aspire Academy have partnered with Futuro Olímpico, the NGO to which Bayt Qatar’s guests will donate to”, said Al Kuwari. On May, the project organized a competition with nearly 200 young athletes from Rio to compete for one of ten openings that will award a trip to Doha.
The ten winners will earn a training period at Aspire Academy at the Gulf country’s capital. “The athletes will receive the same specialized coaching and sport science support that as contributed to the success of Qatar’s world champions, Mutaz Barshim and Ashraf Elseify, both graduates of the Aspire Academy”, said the secretary general. Barshim competes in the high jump and Elseify in the hammer throw.
The Shine Project will also leave a legacy for education in Rio de Janeiro. After the Olympics, the Daros House, the place in which Bayt Qatar is being held, will be the home of Eleva School, a bilingual educational institution. In his project, the Qatari committee is responsible for the school’s library.
Besides Qatar, other countries that are taking part in the Summer Olympics will open thematic houses in Rio during the Games.
Bayt Qatar
R. Gen. Severiano, 159, Botafogo, Rio de Janeiro
From August 4 to 21, Monday to Thursday, from 6 pm to 10 pm, Friday and Saturday, from 3 pm to midnight, Sunday, from 3 pm to 10 pm
Registration and further information at www.baytqatar.qa
*Translated by Sérgio Kakitani
