From eGaming to Padel: exploring the future of sport in Qatar

As the hosts of the FIFA World Cup, 2022 is going to be a big sporting year for Qatar but what else does the future hold? From the world of e-gamers and the business of sport, to scoring points with padel players, Qatar365 discovers the potential.

E-sports has become a mainstream global attraction with conventions, competitions, and streaming channels. It is even becoming a popular subject in academic environments, like at The International School of London, the first in the MENA region to use eGaming to support learning and create its own eSports league.

Qatar has also now set up an eSports Federation hoping to encourage more international tournaments and attract gaming organizations to the country. The country’s e-football team, supported by the Qatar Football Association, is ranked 10th globally.

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Video game tournaments often help gamers clock full-time incomes and provide an opportunity for older generations to expand their knowledge of eSport, “one of the most life-changing experiences for me was when my father attended a tournament, he still asks me, how's the e-sports thing going?” reminisces Abdul Rahman Al-Mana, Director and E-sport Head Tournament organizer.

With so much happening in the gaming scene, Qatar is hitting the button on E-sporting success.

The business of sport is a multi-billion-euro industry with big opportunities. Harnessing all that is Qatar’s new Sport Accelerator Hub - which aims to create new possibilities and attract foreign investment into sport.

Their international success stories include Microsoft, LaLiga, and Sponix, a start-up, technology company creating 3D replays of football matches. They have already signed agreements with the