HE Sheikh Joaan, President of the Doha 2024 Organising Committee and Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) welcomed the athletes to the first ever World Aquatics Championships to be held in Qatar and the Middle East and reiterated Qatar's long-standing commitment to supporting refugees through sport. The QOC is a proud partner of the Olympic Refugee Foundation (ORF), and HE Sheikh Joaan is as a board member of the organisation which supports the training of refugee athletes around the world. During the meeting the athletes shared their experiences of competing in Doha with Masoud competing in the men's 50m and 100m butterfly and Maso in the men's 50m and 100m freestyle in Doha. 

Mardini retired from competitive swimming following her participation in the Tokyo 2020 in the Refugee Olympic Team, but the UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador is here in Doha as an ambassador to encourage more young people in the region to get involved in aquatics. 

HE Sheikh Joaan said: "It is inspiring to see both Mohamed Eyad Masoud and Alaa Maso competing at the World Aquatics Championships, and it was a pleasure to speak with them and former refugee Olympic Team athlete Yusra Mardini. We commend World Aquatics and an increasing number of International Federations for opening up their events to refugee athletes." 

"This is vital not only to give refugee athletes access to sport and its transformative power, but also to give them a platform to showcase their talent, raise awareness, and inspire millions around the world," he added. Masoud currently lives and trains in New Zealand and Maso in Germany with both athletes supported by the ORF, who also helped Mardini achieve her Olympic dream. During the meeting, HE Sheikh Joaan focused on the important role that sport can play in uniting different cultures and its position as a powerful tool to help refugees and other displaced people integrate into their new societies. 

Following the meeting, Masoud highlighted ORF's role of in ensuring that refugees around the world can continue to train and compete, and thanked all of ORF's partners for their continued support. "Unfortunately, conflicts around the world have destroyed sports facilities and forced athletes to flee their homes, and their countries. With the support of the ORF and World Aquatics athletes like myself, Alaa and Yusra, can achieve our dreams, despite the difficulties we face. We can never thank them enough," said Masoud.