Qatar University (QU) presented the results of a research on “Violent and Antisocial Behavior at International Sporting Events”, Lessons for Qatar at a symposium at the university. The workshop attracted a good number of participants from within the university and outside including academics, decision makers and game practitioners. The event aimed at guiding the preparations for 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar and promoting partnerships, given that this will be the first time the World Cup takes place in the Middle East. As a result, this advanced research study was conducted to identify the phenomenon of violence and its nature as well as causes of riots in sporting events, in anticipation for the event in Qatar, and to improve interventions to respond or prevent this phenomenon.
The workshop presented the results of a research study through RAND Europe, which is an independent not-for-profit research institute. RAND Europe provided an overview of the study in relation to Qatar, discussed other research horizons and involved various actors in assessing the possibility of adopting available evidence based strategies.
The workshop works to unite efforts, based on the knowledge and experience of the participants and the lectures in this conference with the aim of implementing the research. In addition, the discussions were an opportunity to create a research reference for the World Cup and enhance opportunities of partnership between QU and decision makers, in order to improve use of evidence as a base in the development and evaluation of sports policies.
One of the anticipated outcomes of this research is to give participants a deep understanding of violence in sports and how to respond to that violence. Creating a research profile for planning the World Cup will help build a reference for policymaking decisions and help QU create new relationships, allowing the university to play a vital role in this major event. QU will continue to invest in human capital by integrating students into discussions and training related to 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar preparations.