A tiny desert country rich in oil and gas and populated by those who wear long flowing robes may not traditionally be viewed as a sporting nation … but boy, are we spoilt for choice when it comes to sport in Qatar.

Football, tennis, Formula 1, Moto GP, aquatics, athletics, padel, equestrian shows and everything else in between at an Asian or international level are all hosted in world-class facilities in Qatar.

The country even has a National Sports Day.

This public holiday is dedicated to getting the whole nation (about 2.7 million people) going – and that’s active beyond the traditional past-times of dhow racing, camel racing, falconry and board games like dama.

Even the Emir, Qatar’s ruler, swopped his white thobe and gutra (headdress) for sportsgear to go kayaking among the mangroves.

Now before you start scrolling through the sporting spoils of Qatar, let’s drop kick any misconceptions about Qatar’s sporting prowess into the desert sand.  

Qatar is home to Nasser Al Attiyah, the Dakar Rally champion and Mutaz Barshim, the Olympic gold medallist high jumper. The country also boasts many of the world’s top shooters and has a winning national football team. The Maroons won the Asian Cup (the equivalent of Afcon) in February this year.

Qatar’s sporting history and so much more are on view at the 3-2-1 Qatar Olympic and Sport’s Museum at Khalifa International Stadium. The latter was built to host the Asian Games in 2006.

Participating in sport

In Qatar you can pretty much participate in any sport or recreational activity.

You can walk, run, cycle; join a local league to play a team sport like cricket or travel the ocean wide on a yacht.  

In short, the choice comes down to your personal preference, talent and bank balance.

But participation in any sport is all dependent on the weather.

Sport for a season

The extreme summer temperatures of Qatar means almost all outdoor sporting activities take place during winter.

This means that from November to March sports fans and participants are spoilt for choice.

School children too pack their sport competition quota in at this time, enjoying three full days of sport in various disciplines because come Summer, it is not possible. Once the mercury hits 42C children are not allowed to “play” outside.

Whereas schools in South Africa and other countries with more temperate climates are generally surrounded by fields, it’s all covered hard courts in Qatar.

Qatar National Sports Day

Just as all good sports coaches have a game plan, so Qatar has both national and international sports plans.

Very simply, from a national stance, it wants a healthy populace. Globally it is intent on building relations and bolstering tourism through the hosting of international sporting events to ensure economic sustainability.  

Qatar was successful in hosting of the FIFA 2022 World Cup, the first Arabic country to do so, and is now working on a bid to host the 2036 Olympics.

We will not be living in Qatar then, but if we were, we’d be first in line for tickets, just as we are for all other international events hosted in Doha.

I mean, when will we ever get the opportunity to watch the best in the world in their own sporting discipline? We are not alone as evidenced by the international mix of local spectators at these events. Most people who live in Qatar come from elsewhere.

So, here’s sneak-peak, alphabetical glimpse of some of the top sport to watch in Qatar.

And yes, I know I am a lucky fish.

Athletics in Qatar

The Diamond League comes to Doha annually. It usually happens in May when the temperature is rising but is hosted in the evening at one of the smaller stadia. (Qatar has eight large football stadiums, each with a capacity exceeding 40 000).  

Aquatics in Qatar

Again, Qatar’s 2.7 million residents are spoilt for choice when it comes to facilities with its beautiful Aspire Zone complex, originally built in 2003. 

It was one of the three venues to host the recent World Aquatics Championships in February 2023.

Swimming, water polo, diving, high diving, open water swimming and artistic swimming all featured. As did Olympic gold medallist Chad le Clos.

Equestian in Qatar

Horses play a pivotal role in Middle Eastern culture, especially Arabian horses with their distinctive short noses and high tail carriage.

While, I am not a “horsey” person myself, you cannot help admire these animals and their riders.

Whether it is horse racing, dressage or show jumping, they are all available to watch during the winter months within wonderful indoor and outdoor facilities.

Camel racing in Qatar

If you visit Qatar or indeed any of the Gulf countries, treat yourself to a day at the camel races. It is like nothing you might imagine as we discovered when visiting Al Shahaniya camel race track about 40 minutes’ drive from Doha.

Chess in Qatar

No action pics here. Well, for me, the idea of watching chess is a bit like watching paint dry. The H, however, took himself off to watch the Qatar Masters with more than 250 competitors from 42 countries, including 62 grandmasters. For the record, one Uzbekistani beat another in the final.

Cricket in Qatar

While Qatar does have a national cricket team, it is the residents who take to the game en masse. In fact, it is those who are in Qatar for season and are part of the revolving door syndrome who are the most likely to take to any open piece of ground to play the sport of their homelands.

Every Friday, the first day of the weekend and often the only day that manual workers get off, hundreds of Indian, Pakistani, Sri Lankan and Bangladeshis meet to play in formalised local league matches.

It happens in our neighbourhood, around the corner from our home in Legoland.

Falconry in Qatar

Falcons and camels are to Qatar what football and rugby are to South Africa – sporting staples. We haven’t managed to attend any falcon racing or hunting events yet, but the annual Katara International Hunting and Falcons Exhibition was and is hugely enlightening for attendees.

Football in Qatar

Football is the most popular all-round and national sport of Qatar.

Qatar’s hosting of the FIFA 2022 World Cup and the more recent Asian Cup were both hugely successful for the sport and the country.

Formula 1 Grand Prix in Qatar

Qatar is now a regular host on the Formula 1 circuit.

Attending a Formula 1 Grand Prix race had been on my bucket list since Briton Nigel Mansell began racing – yes, that’s way back in the ‘80s.

Being at the Qatar F1 GP in November last year was every bit as special as I had hoped, despite Hamilton’s early exit.

It isn’t just a day-long treat. It is a three-day, high-octane extravaganza.  

Golf in Qatar

All sorts of golfing legends pop into Doha to play. Many of them come for the Qatar Masters, hosted at the Doha Golf Club in Education City.

Not only do you get to see these golfing greats, but also you up your step count as you meander the rolling green course (this in itself is a treat in the desert).

Gymnastics in Qatar

If I am honest, I only ever watch gymnastics at the Olympics, and only hear updates from friends about their own children’s prowess on the mat, balancing beam, vault and the like.

So, watching the best compete was an eye-opening treat.

Judo in Qatar

I left the World Judo Championships in Doha last year with three key takeouts:

• Judo is tough, but
• Even the toughest still cry, and
• The fans are fanatic

Man, the competitors are just so big and strong, regardless of the weight category.

As with the gymnasts, I left with a new respect for the time, energy and talent it takes to be at the top of your game.

MotoGP in Qatar

The big bikes, like the fast cars, also do their thing at the Lusail International track.

And it becomes even more special when the South African Binder brothers are racing for those of us who sport the green and gold.

Apart from the actual races, there is a great mardi gras atmosphere outside of the tracks and pits.

Rugby in Qatar

What a delight to discover top flight Sevens Rugby literally on our doorstep.

Meandering across the road to the local sports club in Onaiza for a walk, we heard and followed the sound of cheers …

And there we discovered the Asian Rugby Men’s Sevens Trophy with teams from Bahrain, Thailand and Mongolia underway.

Qatar does have its own Rugby XV too.

But as regular readers of this blog will know, South African rugby fans who are unable to watch SuperSport in Qatar, get their Bok fix at the Shamrock pub at the Magnum Hotel in West Bay. It’s where we once enjoyed high-rise living.

Tennis in Qatar

The Qatar Tennis Open for both men and women is another must.

Here you get to see some of the world’s best tennis players up close and for a reasonable price (QAR40 or R200) in the early rounds.

We had hoped to see Rafa Nadal this time around, but he withdrew as he is not quite match fit. No matter, we saw many of the top female players, including Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur, who is a real favourite here, American Coco Gauff and Latvian Iga Swiatek, who was the eventual winner.

And cherry-on-top was watching 18-year-old rising star Jakub Mensik who beat players twice his age and way above his ranking in the top 250 to lose to Karen Khachavnov in the final.