Minister Meriton at Doha GOALS Forum in Qatar |04 November 2014

The Minister for Social Affairs, Community Development and Sport, Vincent Meriton, is in Qatar attending the third Doha GOALS Forum, the premier platform for world leaders to advance social and economic change through sport.

Designated Minister Meriton has been invited by the Aspire Academy in Doha to take part as a speaker in the forum launched yesterday evening.
The Doha GOALS Forum is held under the high patronage of His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Emir of Qatar.

Last year, the Doha GOALS Forum was attended by 1,500 delegates from 70 countries, including 150 speakers and 30 sporting champions.

Past years have included prominent speakers such as former President of France, Nicolas Sarkozy; President of Gabon, Ali Bongo; Fifa president, Sepp Blatter; and Olympic medallists like Lord Sebastian Coe, Carl Lewis, Michael Johnson, Mark Spitz, Hicham El Guerrouj, Marie-Josée Pérec and Nadia Comaneci.

This year will feature tennis legend Boris Becker along with star athletes Wilson Kipketer, Tegla Loroupe and Jonathan Edwards, to name a few.

Doha GOALS Forum 2014 will see an additional involvement of 400 students from across the globe as part of Student Ambassadors’ programme in addition to over 1,000 delegates.

Minister Meriton said despite being a small island state, Seychelles is proud to be part of this powerful think tank and real community of leaders with strong vision, cutting edge initiatives to transform sport into a powerful tool to bring about social changes.

“The Doha GOALS initiative is 100% in line with our policies to use sports at national level as a tool to build a new generation of athletes and youth with strong meaningful character which is also part and parcel of the Social Renaissance initiative,” Minister Meriton said.

During the forum, Minister Meriton will speak about sports as a catalyst for character building and social well being for the youth.

Executive director of Doha GOALS Forum, H.E. Sheikh Faisal bin Mubarak Al Thani said: “To watch initiatives go from ideas in discussion to concrete programmes implemented across the globe is a remarkable experience, one which fills us with pride. Doha GOALS Forum helps build the very foundations for youth development and provides means for support in the community. Sport is one of the most powerful tools to instill proper values and build character; through our initiatives we create opportunities unique which would otherwise not exist for many young athletes."

This year, the forum will take stock of the initiatives presented at the ministers of sport summit and determine how best to implement them at the national and community level as well as launch new innovative initiatives and programmes.