A spectacular view of Katara Beach, one of the main venues of World Beach Games.
DOHA: As the countdown clock for the inaugural ANOC World Beach Games dwindles, the frequency of social media posts raises. An Instagram post here. A tweet there. And the posts are coming from all accounts – fans, athletes, NOCs and IFs. It’s safe to say excitement is brimming for Qatar 2019.
The event will be held from October 12 to 16.
Seemingly each passing day a new NOC announces an official roster. The British Olympic Association announced their team last week, revealing that 11-year-old skateboarding sensation and Tokyo 2020 hopeful Sky Brown will compete in Doha, bringing her prodigious talent and legion of followers.
“I’m really excited to be invited to the World Beach Games. I was so stoked when Team GB asked if I wanted to compete for them,” said Brown.
“It will be awesome to skate with other girls from around the world.”
Brown is one of 21 athletes selected to represent Team GB at the first global festival of elite beach, water, and action sports. Other NOC’s that recently announced their official roster includes: Qatar, the Czech Republic, the United States, and Australia. In total, 1,240 athletes from nearly 100 countries and all five continents will compete at Qatar 2019.
Usually following each roster announcement is a flurry of posts from the NOC’s athletes. Training videos are the most common from the Games’ competitors, however in the recent lead-up to Qatar 2019, many athletes have been revealing their unique ANOC World Beach Games 2019 uniforms, much to the delight of their followers.
The Games will only go as far as the buy-in from its participants. So far, things are looking good.
Meanwhile, the 350 medal winners at Qatar 2019 will be awarded one of the most distinctive medal designs ever. Shaped like an ocean pebble, the medals include engravings of marine life found all over the globe – dolphins, crabs, coral and various fish.
The medals were inspired by beach sport’s beautiful connection to nature, and capturing that essence has been a priority for the ANOC World Beach Games.
“These games are symbiotic with nature, and our mission has been to create the first multi-sport event that leaves positive impacts on local environments and local communities. These innovative medals symbolise both the success of the elite athletes, and our harmonious relationship with the environment,” said ANOC Secretary General Gunilla Lindberg.
