MUMBAI: The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) announced on Friday that it has signed a multi-year sponsorship deal with Qatar National Bank (QNB), the largest financial institution in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.
As an official IAAF partner, QNB will be present and involved in all IAAF World Athletics Series events including the much anticipated IAAF World Athletics Championships 2019 in Doha next year, as well as the annual Doha Diamond League meeting.
The agreement will also see QNB coming up with a school engagement programme across Qatar, which aims at inspiring the next generation to take up athletics and lead an active, healthy lifestyle. This will help in the company’s strategic expansion, being a valuable CSR activity of using sport and physical exercise as a vehicle for positive social change in the country and overseas.
Speaking on the launch of the new partnership, IAAF president Sebastian Coe said:
“As the number one global sport, bringing the emotion and excitement of athletics to new communities has always been the guiding principle of the IAAF and that’s why this announcement is so exciting. With the addition of QNB to the athletics family we now have a partner that shares our vision for the sport and has the reach to help inspire more people by sharing the stories of our talented athletes. The partnership will help us explore creative ways to make this ambition a reality, enhancing our sport at a local, regional and global level.”
Qatar has been hosting international athletics events for more than 21 years, starting from the first-ever IAAF Grand Prix in 1997 (which later became the Doha Diamond League in 2010 and this year celebrated its ninth edition) and including the IAAF World Indoor Championships 2010.
