doha diary
talenteD stuDents Do rota prouD
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wo young students of photography classes run by ROTA and its Indonesian partner, the Titian Foundation, in an amazing feat of talent and perseverance won the first prize at the Art Festival for Vocational School Students in Central Java, Indonesia. Yanthi Ambar and Krisnawati, in their seven minute documentary ‘Dibawah Naungan Merapi’, recount the story of sand miners living on the slopes of the Merapi Mountains in Central Indonesia. In 2008, ROTA launched the Qatar-Titian Scholarship Fund in cooperation with the Indonesia-based Titian Foundation, aiming to promote access to education for the disadvantaged students in Bayat Klaten – one of the severely damaged regions during the earthquake that left 1 million people homeless on the Island of Java in May 2006.
revival oF oriental equestrian sport
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oha will host the regional revival of djerid, an oriental equestrian sport from the 16th century, during the ‘Horse Games and Horse Sports Exhibition’, which will open on October 14. The five-month-long exhibition will feature a broad range of equestrian sports, from the traditional ones to more sophisticated performances that are a part of the Olympics and international equestrian events. In djerid, two teams of horsemen try to score points by throwing wooden javelins, of up to one metre in length, at each other.The game was abolished 150 years ago and has since been revived in Turkey. However,
this is the first time it will be played in the Arab region. The ‘Horse Games and Horse Sports Exhibition’ is being organised by the Qatar Olympic and Sports Museum (part of Qatar Museums Authority) in collaboration with the Qatar Olympic Committee and Qatar Equestrian Federation. “The exhibition highlights the old horse races and games tradition in the East to understand the enthusiasm and engagement for modern Olympic horse sports,” said Dr Christian Wacker, Director/Chief Curator of Qatar Olympic and Sports Museum.The exhibition was opened to the public from October 14 and will last till March 20, 2011.
Horse Sports Exhibition being launched by officials
Doha Debates targets aib awarDs
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he Association for International Broadcasting (AIB) has shortlisted Qatar’s unique forum for free speech – The Doha Debates, for two categories at the AIB’s international media awards. The awards celebrate excellence in global programme making for television, radio and online material and will be held in London on November 9 this year. The AIB Awards are judged by international panels drawn from the broadcast-
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ing industry – ensuring peer review of programming – as well as radio and TV critics, representing the audience’s perspective. The Debates’ Chairman Tim Sebastian cemented his standing as one of the most acclaimed TV journalists after being shortlisted for personality of the year. He has previously won the Royal Television Society’s Interviewer of the Year award on two occasions and Television Journalist of the Year award once.
Tim Sebastian Chairman, Doha Debates
Qatar Today November 10
11/1/10 7:51:09 PM