Navigating my way between the individual sport competitions at the finals of the Qatar Olympic Committee's (QOC) revolutionary Schools Olympic Programme (SOP), I couldn't help feeling a tinge of jealousy towards the 3,126 participants.

I say a tinge. That's actually an understatement.

With my own personal memories of "school sports day" comprising of little more than a grass field and a sand pit for long jump and triple jump, nothing could prepare me for the incredible display of school sport showcased at the magnificent Aspire Dome in Doha.

A total of 14 sports featured at the start-of-the-art venue, which is credited as being the world's largest for indoor sports training and competition.

The SOP, which sees students aged five to 18 compete throughout the school year, was launched as a legacy of the 2006 Asian Games and has grown from 7,099 participants from 300 schools in its inaugural year, to 25,454 students from over 461 schools in 2014.

This year's programme, the eighth edition, saw further growth and success with 29,319 schoolchildren from 542 schools participating across the school year.

Sitting down to discuss the programme with Sheikh Saoud Bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, secretary general of the QOC and chairman of the SOP, it became evident to me that the ambition for growth doesn't end there.

Sheikh Saoud Bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani (centre), secretary general of the Qatar Olympic Committee, has overseen the growth of the Schools Olympic Programme ©QOC




Sheikh Saoud said the QOC is aiming to secure participation from every single school in Qatar at next year's edition, estimating between two and four per cent of the total number have not taken part up until now.

Add to this the fact that four other members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) - United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Bahrain, as well as Egypt - have already initiated their own versions of the SOP and it's clear to see that the programme is constantly gathering momentum.

Although one of its main objectives is talent identification, Sheikh Saoud insists fulfilling the "Sport For All" vision of the International Olympic Committee is really at the heart of the SOP in Qatar.

"We're a small nation, but we're getting great results and we've seen that even obesity has begun to decrease within the schools, and that's what we want," he told insidethegames.

"This is one of the targets because we want kids to be inspired to be a champion. Not necessarily to be a champion at Asian level or international level, but to become a champion within their schools."

Sheikh Saoud revealed that the medals awarded at the SOP finals are produced by GDE Bertoni, the Milan-based company that manufactured the FIFA World Cup.

By using valuable metal, it is hoped that the medal-winning athletes will cherish their memento way beyond the point of achievement.

"We want them to keep it for their whole life," said Sheikh Saoud. "They will remember and they will always be inspired by sport. When you're a kid you will always remember something that you have accomplished, and this is what we try to do.

"We're seeing that accomplishment more and more, year by year, and that's why we're seeing the growth of the programme."

3x3 basketball was among 14 sports featured as part of the Schools Olympic Programme i©Twitter



Among the 3,126 participants at the SOP were 17 students from the Georgian National Olympic Committee, which has a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in place with the QOC.

As part of the SOP's theme for this year, "sport and peace", the students were invited to share their experiences with Qatari schoolchildren and learn more about each other's culture and lifestyles.

"Qatar is trying to become a hub of sport in the Middle East and we've seen how much attention sport gets here in this country and how much is done for sports promotion," said Ekaterina Meiering-Mikadze, Georgia's Ambassador in Qatar. 

"So this is why we thought to give a chance to Georgian kids, who are coming from displaced families, to visit Doha."

The QOC is also showing a strong commitment to Para-sport with goalball, Para-athletics and Para-table tennis featuring on the SOP programme.

Doha is set to host the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Athletics World Championships in October and the QOC has attempted to raise awareness of Para-sport through both the SOP and Qatar's National Sport Day, which is held annually on the second Tuesday in February.

Preparations for the Championships are going well according to Sheikh Saoud, who says it's important not only to leave a legacy for Qatar, but also for the GCC countries by giving more attention to Paralympic sport and the region as a whole.

The QOC is vying to create an experience similar to that of London 2012, which Sheikh Saoud believes has set the benchmark for staging the Paralympic Games and ensuring a successful legacy.

London 2012 bronze medal-winning high jumper Mutaz Barshim is a graduate of the Schools Olympic Programme ©HK Strategies




"I think London have done a great job in the Paralympic Games," he said.

"It was the most attended Paralympic event in history, so we'll try to communicate with the organisation there and see how things have been done because this is what we want.

"We want the Qatar Sports Club's [Suhaim Bin Hamam] Stadium to be full when we have the IPC Championships."

One of two bronze medals won by Qatar at the London 2012 Olympics came via men's high jumper Mutaz Barshim, a noticeable success story of the SOP along with 16-year-old gymnast Rahma al-Dulaimi, who represented Qatar at last year's Summer Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing, and Mariam Farid, a promising young hurdler who won silver at the GCC Women's Games in Oman last week.

Sheikh Saoud said that by connecting the QOC with the Ministry of Education, as well as sports clubs, sport federations and schools, talent can be identified at an early age when their interest in sport is beginning to take shape.

We could well see participants at this year's programme competing at future Olympic and Paralympic Games, and given Qatar's ever-growing sporting ambitions, they may have the chance to do so on home soil.

Doha is widely tipped to lodge a bid for the 2024 Games having failed in its attempts to secure the 2016 and 2020 editions.

Although Sheikh Saoud refused to be drawn on whether a bid would be submitted before the September deadline, he effectively confirmed that a future bid, whether it be for 2024, 2028 and 2032, is inevitable by stating that the QOC "have not decided which year" as of yet. 

Whichever year it happens to be, there can be no doubt that initiatives like the SOP will be looked upon favourably by the IOC.

The sheer scale of the programme is a real feather in Qatar's cap and with the legacy of the 2006 Asian Games being so significant, it's almost unimaginable to think what an Olympic and Paralympic Games will do for the country.

I suspect it's bordering on certain that we'll be able to see what it will do sooner rather than later.

Daniel Etchells is a reporter for insidethegames. To follow him on Twitter click here.