1-2-3 Museum An inspiring journey documenting the history of the Olympics and sports in Qatar and the world

Doha - With its interactive exhibitions, inspiring collectibles and innovative activities that inspire the spirit of participation in the hearts of visitors, the 1-2-3 Qatar Olympic Sports Museum came to light after an inspirational 16-year-old idea of ​​the Father Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani during the Doha Asiad.

The museum dedicated to the history of sports takes its visitors on an inspiring journey through the history and legacy of sports around the world and the Olympic Games, and combines a collection of collectibles with the latest technology, and documents the importance of sports in the State of Qatar.

The museum exhibits highlight the role of sport as one of the most important cultural developments, the history and importance of the Olympic Games in this era, the stories of sports champions around the world, and the inspiring story of the development of sport in Qatar, as well as the tremendous impact of major sporting events organized by Qatar in recent decades.

During a tour of AJ Net in the museum on the first day of its opening, the effort and creativity of the Spanish architect Juan Cepena, as well as the interconnected halls that used the latest interactive technology methods to express the global history of sports and the emergence of the Olympics and the culture of sports in Qatar.

The museum covers an area of ​​about 19,000 square meters, becoming the second largest sports museum in the world after the Museum of America. It includes 7 galleries that house hundreds of collectibles from all over the world, from the first beginnings of sports to this day.

The museum - which is located in the Khalifa International Stadium (one of the stadiums for the Qatar World Cup 2022) - aims through participatory spaces and programs designed to inspire and involve its local community, and encourage the public to participate in sports and physical activities.

World of feelings

The museum’s seven halls tell inspiring success stories from the history of sports and the lives of athletes. The first hall, “A World of Feelings” in the main lobby, contains the most prominent phrases of the late leader Nelson Mandela about youth and sports. A dome and video wall paired with an electrifying audio recording, this informative space gives an overview of the museum's themes and the central role of sport in Qatar.

As for the second hall, "The Global History of Sports", it begins with a plate depicting the practice of sports in different civilizations and cultures, most notably the civilizations of ancient Egypt, the Roman and Greek civilizations. and interactive.

This hall - which contains nearly 100 original holdings and copies, dating from the eighth century BC to the early 20th century - was divided into 5 wings according to geographical distribution and themes, and focused on different historical periods in Europe, Asia, Oceania, the Americas, Africa and the Middle East.

Through these civilizations on display, sport has developed around the world, reviewing the similarities that prompted societies to develop sports in response to deep human needs.

While the third hall, “the Olympics,” takes visitors on a journey that extends from Greek antiquity to the present day, mixing history, archeology and contemporary sources, and exploring the ancient games that began in 767 BC with one game of running, to the birth, prosperity and increasing importance of the modern Olympic Games in our time. this.

This hall is divided into 4 areas, the first of which simplifies the context of the cultural and philosophical factors behind the establishment of the ancient Olympic Games, which lasted about a thousand years, the popularity of the games in ancient Greece, as well as the location of Olympia as a center of sports, religious and cultural activity.

As for the second area, inside the Olympic Theater in the auditorium, there is an immersive video show that tells the story of the birth of the modern Olympic Games in the late 18th century, and presents the geopolitical, social and technological factors that enabled personalities - such as French Baron Pierre de Coubertin - to contribute to the revival of the Olympic Games.

As for the third regions, they display each torch from the Summer and Winter Olympics since they first began in Germany in 1936 onwards, as this region includes 23 flames since the start of the Summer and Winter Olympics until 2016, as well as the story of the emergence of Olympic cauldrons, and the display of the first Olympic cauldron in Amsterdam 1928 The first Olympic cauldron in Asia in Tokyo 1964, and the cauldron of the 2012 London Olympics.

The Three Olympic Values

The last region showcases the history, heritage and three values ​​of the modern Olympic Games: friendship, respect and excellence represented by Qatari runner Mutaz Barshim after sharing the high jump gold with his Italian colleague Gianmarco Tampere, and the ways in which the spirit of the Games can be kept alive.

This area included the wall of memorabilia that was acquired by athletes who participated in the museum from the 1896 Olympics to the 2021 Olympics, as well as Olympic medals and emblems, and the amulets that began in the Olympics starting with the Munich Olympics in 1972 in Germany with the "dog" amulet.

As for the fourth hall, the "Athletes' Hall", it is dedicated to celebrating 100 sports heroes from all over the world, where visitors can meet old and new heroes, and draw inspiration from their success and achievements.

This hall extends over 3 floors, and currently sheds light on 87 athletes - including 7 Qataris - in 32 sports and representing 44 countries. The 20 and 21.

Qatar was represented in this hall by Sheikh Hassan bin Jabor Al-Thani, the world champion in powerboats, Sheikh Ali bin Khalid Al-Thani, the best Asian jockey in 2017, Nasser Al-Attiyah, the world champion for cars, Moataz Barshim, the world champion and gold medalist in Tokyo 2021, and weightlifter Faris Ibrahim. Qatar’s first gold medalist in the Olympics, runner Mohammed Suleiman, Qatar’s first medalist at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, and Bahia Mansour Al Hamad, the first Qatari athlete to participate in the Olympics.

The hall, in which the sports champions will be changed every 3 years, includes a series of captivating shows, each focusing on a different athlete, and contains a media text documenting the most important moments of his life, in addition to distinctive collectibles.

The athletes’ stories broadcast and ignite feelings of passion, motivation and determination, in addition to stories told by pioneers of men and women who were the first to represent their country, religion, gender, age group or race to compete and win, most notably Ibtihaj Muhammad, the first Muslim-American athlete to participate in the Olympics in the Olympics. Rio 2016.

The hall is a platform for athletes who have overcome major challenges to achieve success, and their reputation has transcended the boundaries of sport, and their image in the public has become a strong symbol.

Qatar host country

The fifth hall, "Qatar, the host country" dealt with how major sporting events hosted by the State of Qatar in recent decades became a focus of global attraction and national pride. The Doha Asian Games 2006 was the first major sporting event organized by a Gulf country, and one of the most successful Asian Games ever held Qatar hosted 45 countries that competed in 424 events and 39 sports.

Visitors will discover how the Asian Games have catalyzed Qatar's development as a host nation, and how the event has accelerated the nation's urban transformation, creating a world-class sports infrastructure worthy of hosting superstar sports and their global audiences.

This hall contains 7 containers that display a series of experiences including motorsports, equestrian, tennis, athletics, handball, football and AASAD 2006. Each container evokes the most memorable moments of global events hosted by Qatar in this sport, and addresses its enduring legacy.

This hall includes interesting video presentations of the story of Khalifa International Stadium from its opening in 1976 to host the Arabian Gulf Cup to the launch of the World Athletics Championships in 2019 and its renewal to host the 2022 World Cup matches.

The sixth hall, "Sports Culture in Qatar", presents the story of the transformation that the country has witnessed in the field of sports, as it moved from traditional games and sports dating back thousands of years, such as horse racing and falconry, to a global home for sports.