Doha: On a tour to explore the most prominent art landmarks in Qatar Foundation and the accessibility services provided on the fans journey to the Education City stadium, David Beckham, former captain of England’s football team, was impressed by the accessibility services offered at Qatar Foundation, especially the sensory rooms.
On his visit to different venues in Education City, as well as the route leading to the Education City stadium, Beckham tested some of the services that are available to fans with different needs and abilities.
“The interactive features inside the sensory mobile trailer caters to different sensory needs for children,” said Beckham. “And because each of us responds differently to stimulations, the sensory mobile trailer provides a variety of elements to help fans take a break from the loud atmosphere of a game.”
David commented on the accessibility that Education City stadium offers for fans during this World Cup. He said: “This is an example of the power of sport and the power of this tournament. It’s great that there are all of these offerings for children with different needs, where they have the chance to attend games in football stadiums in comfort, and also have somewhere to get away from the hectic side of a football match with their families.”
Beckham’s tour at Education City included a stop at the art installation titled “Come Together” by the South Korean artist Choi Jeong Hwa, which symbolizes the joy of the people of Qatar, and of the fans, realizing their dream of Qatar hosting the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.
Another stop took him to the GOALS exhibition at Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in Qatar (VCUarts Qatar) – a QF partner university – where he saw photos and videos capturing stories from the lives of people in Qatar during the build-up to the World Cup.
Beckham – who is involved in grassroots football nurturing future talent through Academy systems – shared a message to young people who dream of playing football in their futures: “You need to be dedicated to work hard, and you will have to make sacrifices sometimes. But the most important thing that I always tell every child I talk to about the game – boys and girls – is to have fun.
“It's the most important part of sports and football. If they're not enjoying doing what they do, then they're doing the wrong thing.”
