HBKU Press Launches New Book Documenting Qatar's Sports History in Panel Discussion with Top Athletes
In a panel discussion this past Thursday, November 14, 2019, Hamad Bin Khalifa University Press launched its latest title, Journeys on a Football Carpet, written by Matthias Krug. The launch took place in Qatar National Library’s Special Events Area and was well attended by sports fans, book enthusiasts, and members of the media
Opening remarks were presented by the German Ambassador to the State of Qatar, His Excellency, Hans-Udo Muzel. Participating in the panel discussion were: Matthias Krug, author and world-renowned sport’s journalist; local Qatari football legend and sports analyst on the Qatari television channel Al Kass, Badr Bilal;Joachim Krug, one of the first foreign athletic coaches to arrive in Qatar in 1982 and current coaching staff member for the Qatar National Team; Sheikh Fahad Khalid Al Thani, Qatar´s first professional boxing champion, currently undefeated in his sport; and, Qatari female athlete and Qatar’s 2019 IAAF World Athletics Championships representative, Mariam Farid.
The discussion centered around the book and the panelists’ personal experiences that explored Qatar’s sports history and challenged the status quo.
“This book is a documentation of Qatar’s history,” explained Executive Director of HBKU Press, Bachar Chebaro, when questioned about the importance of publishing such a book. “At HBKU Press, we are committed to publishing books that provide the global community with insight on Qatar and highlight the nation’s success.”
“Being born and raised in Qatar in a family obsessed with sports allowed me to see firsthand how rapidly the nation’s athletic and football landscape has developed over the years,” author Matthias Krug said. “But whenever I traveled around the world, I was surprised that people knew very little about Qatar’s fascinating and ever-developing sports history. I was inspired to write this book, not only to relate some of my family’s very personal experiences, but to document the experiences of a nation and the inspiring people who helped to shape those journeys on the sporting fields.”
Journeys on a Football Carpet is available in the HBKU Press Bookstore (located in the College of Islamic Studies building in Education City), in bookstores across Qatar, and on Amazon Kindle as an eBook.
