Koora Time, Qatar Shell and QFA initiative wins ‘Best Community Programme Award’ at 11th Global CSR Summit & Awards
Apr 20, 2019
Koora Time wins Best Community Programme Award at the 11th Global CSR Summit & Awards in Malaysia, bringing the total number of local and international honours received to 10 since the initiative was launched in 2012.
(From left) Rashid Majed Al-Sulaiti, Deputy General Manager of Qatar Shell Companies, andKhalid Mubarak Al-Kawari, Director of Marketing and Communication of Qatar Football Association, speak at theKoora Time press conference.
Koora Time team members from the Qatar Football Association and Qatar Shell celebrate their 10th award, ‘Best Community Programme Award’ from 11th Global CSR Summit & Awards™.
Jaber Al-Mansoor, Social investment Advisor, Qatar Shell, receives Koora Time’s ‘Best Community Programme Award’ atThe Global CSR Awards 2019™ in Malaysia.
Koora Time, a sustainable initiative created and designed by Qatar Shell and Qatar Football Association (QFA) to improve the health and wellbeing of young people in Qatar through football, has added a new accolade to its growing list of awards.
Koora Time won the ‘Best Community Programme Award’ at the 11th Global CSR Summit & Awards™ in Malaysia this April, bringing the total number of local and international honours received to 10, since the initiative was launched in 2012.
The award, which was presented at The Global CSR Awards 2019™, Asia’s most prestigious recognition programme for corporate social responsibility, bears testament to the successful partnership between Qatar Shell and QFA.
Khalid Mubarak Al-Kawari, QFA Director of Marketing and Communication, noted that the association’s social responsibility program is an essential part of its Vision 2021.
“The success of Koora Time, which has gained an international reputation, motivates us to further expand the initiative to reach more of our youth. There is no doubt that the latest award comes within the framework of our renewed efforts since the beginning of this season, to effectively engage the local community and achieve our objectives, in cooperation with our partners at Qatar Shell,” he explained.
Al-Kawari also added that this award represents another incentive to pursue further achievements, both locally and internationally. “We are working hard towards achieving new accomplishments after the expansion of the Koora Time initiative in the local community and with our participation in events such as Qatar National Day, the National Sport Day, as well as the Emir Cup.”
"I would like to thank Koora Time team members from the Qatar Football Association, Qatar Shell, and QFA’s executive board members, as well as QFA President, His Excellency Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Thani, for his support and for prioritizing social responsibility initiatives within the framework of our Vision 2021,” Al-Kawari said.
“I would also like to highlight the pivotal and strategic role that the Ministry of Education and Higher Education and Aspire Academy play in promoting Koora Time, which seeks to improve the health of youth through football."
Commenting on the award, Rashid Majed Al-Sulaiti, Deputy General Manager of Qatar Shell Companies, noted that “Qatar Shell’s Social Investment initiatives are an integral and vital part of our business, which aim to build national capabilities, and reflect our unwavering commitment to promoting Qatari values and working to transform Qatar into a self-sustaining nation in line with the National Vision 2030.”
“Since the launch of Koora Time, we have proudly benefited over 100,000 youth across Qatar. And this latest award recognises the tangible contribution of our partnership with QFA in this regard,” Al-Sulaiti added.
Qatar Shell and QFA have recently wrapped up the seventh season of Koora Time, which attracted a weekly average of 3,500 participants, who had access to 30 venues for football and sports-related activities compared to eight venues when Koora Time launched in 2012.
The initiative’s undisputed success was evident in numbers, with a significant number of participants having improved their Body Mass Index (BMI). The latest season further contributed to empowering women in Qatar, with girls accounting for half of the participants.
The initiative is based on FC Barcelona Foundation’s FutbolNet methodology and provides children with an extra 72 hours of extra-curricular physical education per year. In recognition of its positive impact on the health of youth, Koora Time has won 10 CSR awards over the past years, including the Asian Football Confederation’s Dream of Asia Award in the area of social responsibility in 2014 and 2016.
To find out more about Koora Time, or to register your child for the award-winning and impactful programme, please visit www.kooratime.qa.
About Qatar Football Association
The Qatar Football Association was established in the 1960’s; it is a pioneer among Qatari sports associations. QFA plays a pivotal role in laying the foundation for football in the state and is still the first to help advance the game and improve its level in Qatar, thus making the state a crucial player on the regional and international football scene.
Social responsibility is one of the key priorities of the Qatar Football Association (QFA). The purpose of engaging the society through various football-related programs has been well received by the public in recent years.
The QFA aims to strengthen the role of engaging the society through sports activities under the 2021 vision of the football ruling body.
The Qatar Football Association works on all levels of the football system to identify and develop young Qatari talents.
- QFA bonds with the local society to promote the game and expand its fan-base in a systematic and methodical approach.
- QFA aims to reinforce football professionalism by improving the existing infrastructure of the game.
- The ruling authority is constantly striving to develop and harness young talent that could be the base for youth and senior outfits competing regionally, continentally and internationally.
About Koora Time:
A ten-year sustainable initiative between Qatar Football Association (QFA) and Qatar Shell, Koora Time is designed to improve the health and wellbeing of Qatar’s youth through football.
This initiative aims to facilitate access to more football in a non-competitive environment, supporting an active and healthy lifestyle amongst the young people in Qatar. As part of the ten-year campaign, QFA and Qatar Shell will jointly organise and launch a series of youth engagement programmes using football as the platform.
Koora Time supports the Social and Human Development pillar of the Qatar National Vision 2030 and the National Development Strategy (NDS) through engaging the young people in Qatar at every stage of their lives with programmes tailored to them.
In recognition of its positive impact on the health of youth, Koora Time has been the recipient of numerous awards including the 2014 and 2016 ‘Sports Industry Award’ for Best CSR Initiative, the 2015 ‘CSR Award Qatar’ for Best CSR Impact Initiative, the 2014 ‘Dar Al Sharq Corporate Social Responsibility Award’ for the Best Sports Initiative, the 2014, 2016 and 2017 ‘AFC Dream of Asia Award’ in the area of social responsibility, and the 2017 ‘QFA Awards’ for Best CSR Programme.