Press Releases
U.S. Qatar Military Friendly Football
On November 23, U.S. Ambassador to Qatar Joseph LeBaron and Brigadier General Khalifa al-Khulaifi, Deputy Director of the Qatar Military Sports Association, inaugurated a friendly football game between teams from the Qatari and U.S. militaries. The early morning match, which was played at Al Sadd stadium, highlighted the successful collaboration between the two militaries in the sports arena.
Ambassador LeBaron remarked that the U.S. Embassy supported the vision of Qatar’s leaders in promoting sporting activities as part of a healthy lifestyle, and there were no people better placed than our military service members to help us achieve that goal.
The Qatari and U.S. militaries, which enjoy a long tradition of cooperation in all fields, take advantage of the cooler months to field teams in friendly competitions in a number of sports.
Prior to the football match, Raed Barghouti, coach of the American team, observed that his side was taking on a big challenge by facing the strongest Qatari military football team this season. The coach’s concerns were borne out by the results, as the U.S. team was soundly defeated.
Speaking before the game, Brigadier General Al Khulaifi said he welcomed further sports collaboration between the U.S. and Qatari militaries.