Dr Holly Thorpe, a visiting Fulbright scholar at Georgetown University, and a senior lecturer at the University of Waikato, was excited to be invited to the inaugural Doha GOALS—Gathering of All Leaders in Sport—Forum held at the Aspire Academy in Doha, Qatar, from 10-12 December 2012.

Under the high patronage of His Highness Sheikh Hama Bin Khalifa Al-Thani (The Emir of Qatar), the event was produced by Richard Attias and Associates and attended by 2,800 invited participants from 62 countries. In this blog, Dr Thorpe reflects critically upon this event, highlighting both the 'soft' and 'hard' legacies of the forum, and contextualizing the event within a broader socio-cultural and political-economic context.

She expresses concern over the relationships being established and the politics going on behind the scenes, as the Qatari elite attempt to put Doha on the map as a host for future mega sporting events.

Visit the Georgetown University website to read the full article.