QATAR Money backing Rugby League?

[Heritage XIII]

Interesting news in Australia about a QATAR Billionaire. Had to check the calendar to see if it wasn't April

 

https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/nrl/qatar-sheik-worth-an-estimated-60-billion-wants-to-invest-in-the-nrl/news-story/b67e396150c671c69c6f9f21c11ee828?utm_content=SocialFlow&utm_campaign=EditorialSF&utm_source=TelegraphSport&utm_medium=Facebook 

[Heritage XIII]

The company mentioned in the article:

http://www.aqeeqholdings.com/

Their facebook page also has a lot of RL content. I didn't know a lot of the Pacific countries & their league teams back QATAR after the recent fall out with other Middle Eastern countries. 

 

[Abicus]

Wow this could be anything.

[Harry Stottle]

19 minutes ago, Heritage XIII said:

Interesting news in Australia about a QATAR Billionaire. Had to check the calendar to see if it wasn't April

 

https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/nrl/qatar-sheik-worth-an-estimated-60-billion-wants-to-invest-in-the-nrl/news-story/b67e396150c671c69c6f9f21c11ee828?utm_content=SocialFlow&utm_campaign=EditorialSF&utm_source=TelegraphSport&utm_medium=Facebook 

Would you be so kind as to copy and paste the article, it will not allow me to view without subscribing.

[Heritage XIII]

Source: Daily Telegraph

IN what would be a historic game-changer for rugby league, a Qatar sheik worth an estimated $60 billion wants to invest in the NRL.

The Daily Telegraph can exclusively reveal that Sheik Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani has discussed either sponsoring an NRL club — or simply buying one.

He is the sixth-richest sheik in the world.

“Definitely, money, funding, isn’t an issue for us,” said Dr Khalid Mohammad, who calls himself a “spokesman to his Highness”.

“Rugby league is a very famous game in Australia, UK, New Zealand and all over the world.”

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Michael Ibrahim (left) with Qatar's Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani.Could this be the start of a new dawn for the game?

Some may be sceptical but Sheik Faisal’s interest in rugby league is genuine.

Sheik Faisal has befriended an NRL-loving Australian businessman, Michael Ibrahim, who has worked in the Middle East for the past 18 years.

The sheik has already injected money into the Pacific rugby league nations and is proposing a tournament in Doha, Qatar — involving Fiji, Tonga, Samoa and Qatar — late next year.

Ibrahim supplies building material for stadiums to be used in the 2022 Qatar Football World Cup, sells food — meat from Australia and chicken from Brazil — to the Qatar Government and is helping build a resort in Qatar.

Extremely well connected to the Qatar royal family, Ibrahim has direct contact with Sheik Faisal and is encouraging the financial giant to buy into rugby league. And that is exactly what the sheik plans to do.

Qatar's 2022 FIFA World Cup preparations have been dogged by controversy. (Getty Images)

The Daily Telegraph spoke in-depth about the sheik’s plans for rugby league through his spokesman, Dr Khalid Mohammad.

“I feel personally that this game represents our nation,” Dr Khalid said. “Rugby league is a game of strength, power and strategy.

“In Qatar, we are highly interested in rugby league and brother Michael Ibrahim is a very close friend of ours. We can sponsor the clubs in Australia.

“He told us there are some struggling clubs in Australia and we are willing to buy them with correlation from Michael Ibrahim. He is a very a well-connected man there.

A tournament including Tonga, Samoa and Fiji is on the cards. (AAP Image/David Rowland)

“We can definitely buy and give some support. Sheik Faisal Bin Qassim would be funding all the activities. Definitely it will give us a return in terms of investment.

“Qatar is the wealthiest country in the Islamic world. Money has never been a problem.

“But the main question is how to utilise the money for the fame and coverage you can get.

“People like rugby league in many countries but, for us, it is new. Football is very famous here but rugby league, we want to introduce it into our nation.

LISTEN! The World Cup final has arrived for both men and women and the League Central crew dissect an incredible tournament to date, the future of the international game and pick their winners as the league season draws to a close.

Download the League Central podcast via iTunes

“In Qatar, we are preparing for the World Cup and sport is a way of communicating and representing ourselves in the world.

“Michael Ibrahim has already introduced rugby league to us. In fact, we are planning to host a tournament with Tonga, Samoa and Fiji.”

Sheik Faisal’s family wealth is $60 billion, while his personal wealth is around $3 billion.

He owns more than 20 hotels throughout the world and high-end real estate in Qatar. He also sells medical supplies and pharmaceuticals.

 

Ibrahim, 44, who claims to be “very close” to the royal family, is a Sydney-born rugby league fanatic. He lives between Sydney and Qatar.

“I’m an entrepreneur,” said Ibrahim, who owns a company called Aqeeq Holdings.

“And I’m a massive Dragons fan. I bleed red and white. I have been telling them about our game and they’re not short of a quid.

“Money won’t be an issue for them. Who knows, there may even be another Super League? The money is there.

“This will be a win-win situation. They are a sport-driven country. That’s why they went for the World Cup soccer.

“There would be interest in rugby league in Qatar, they would love it.

“Unfortunately, our clubs don’t see beyond Australia. You’ve got to look elsewhere to find that corporate dollar. Clubs are doing it tough here.”

According to Forbes magazine, Sheik Faisal “has a museum in Doha where he houses more than 15,000 artefacts, including ancient coins, Islamic art and antique cars.”

He owns one of the largest conglomerates in Qatar.

 

[flyingking]

I do not care how much money they are prepared to invest, I want NO money to come into our game from Qatar. Jonathan Liew's article in the Independent makes it perfectly clear why rugby league should have no dealings with Qatar. The racist state with no concern for its slave workforce  A corruption trial currently taking place in the States, witnesses have testified that qatar-had-15-million-dollars to-bribe-South American officials-to-vote-for-country-to-host-2022-fifa-world-cup

With its insidious use of money, Qatar has totally ruined football and is doing its best to do the same in athletics and handball. In both sports it has somehow "persuaded" athletes with no connection to the country to instead internationally represent the Middle Eastern nation. The PSG handball team which shares the same ownership as the football team, has a virtually unlimited budget to assemble a team which could double as a world selection (Omeyer, Karabatic, Hansen, Gensheimer, Abalo could all be regarded globally as the top player in their positions) Being a regular Paris resident, I have seen them play a lot. I appreciate the players for the skills they exhibit, but I am uncomfortable with the finance behind the team and the ethos that will create a club monopoly at European level. I was therefore delighted that PSG was defeated in the Champions League Final by a club from Macedonia. However this will no doubt be just a temporary blip and the likelihood is that no other European club will be in any position to compete with PSG for years to come.

I also speak as someone who has visited Qatar for the 2015 Handball World Championship. I had heard the stories about what a terrible country it was, the reality turned out to be much worse. I have visited 75 countries of which I have enjoyed 74, Qatar was the only one I found to have no redeeming features whatsoever. I experienced a deeply racist, sexist, unfriendly country where no local was prepared to engage with me at any level or any effort made to help tourists. The three days spent there were the longest and most miserable of my life. As far as I am concerned, to accept the tainted money from this morally bankrupt country would be far worse than the other code's support for the apartheid regime.

[Damien]

39 minutes ago, Heritage XIII said:

The sheik has already injected money into the Pacific rugby league nations and is proposing a tournament in Doha, Qatar — involving Fiji, Tonga, Samoa and Qatar — late next year. 

 

Something like that would be huge for international Rugby League. 

On the whole though wow but I'll believe it when I see it. Just seems to be good to be true. 

[Copa]

The government of Oman gave $40,000 to a junior rugby league team in Sydney. They have the flag of Oman on their jerseys 

The same Australian business man was involved.

http://www.theleader.com.au/story/3918906/omani-sponsor-helps-juniors/

“And it all started when Mr Al Hashar began to show an interest in rugby league.

“We went into this meeting and I said to Tyson ‘just sit in the corner, don’t say anything, just watch,’” Mr Ibrahim said.

 

“But His Excellency said to him ‘you don’t learn anything by sitting in the corner’ and invited to sit next to him.

“From there he asked Tyson what sport he played and my son told him rugby league.

“Tyson showed him some rugby league on his phone and they loved it.

“So I asked sarcastically would he like to sponsor my son’s team. He asked how much and I just plucked a number $40,000 out of nowhere.

“And His Excellency’s chief of staff came back with a cheque and gave it to Tyson.”

 

[Copa]

57 minutes ago, flyingking said:

As far as I am concerned, to accept the tainted money from this morally bankrupt country would be far worse than the other code's support for the apartheid regime.

I’d take it!

[nadera78]

A quick google of Michael Ibrahim, Sydney provides some interesting results. Don't know if it's the same guy. 

[Scubby]

23 minutes ago, Copa said:

The government of Oman gave $40,000 to a junior rugby league team in Sydney. They have the flag of Oman on their jerseys 

The same Australian business man was involved.

http://www.theleader.com.au/story/3918906/omani-sponsor-helps-juniors/

“And it all started when Mr Al Hashar began to show an interest in rugby league.

“We went into this meeting and I said to Tyson ‘just sit in the corner, don’t say anything, just watch,’” Mr Ibrahim said.

 

“But His Excellency said to him ‘you don’t learn anything by sitting in the corner’ and invited to sit next to him.

“From there he asked Tyson what sport he played and my son told him rugby league.

“Tyson showed him some rugby league on his phone and they loved it.

“So I asked sarcastically would he like to sponsor my son’s team. He asked how much and I just plucked a number $40,000 out of nowhere.

“And His Excellency’s chief of staff came back with a cheque and gave it to Tyson.”

 

I guess the kid on the left may not be sold on the link-up?

[Kayakman]

9 minutes ago, Scubby said:

I guess the kid on the left may not be sold on the link-up?

Leigh better beef up their forwards if they want any hope of beating the Wolfpack this season.

[TheLegendOfTexEvans]

2 hours ago, flyingking said:

I do not care how much money they are prepared to invest, I want NO money to come into our game from Qatar. Jonathan Liew's article in the Independent makes it perfectly clear why rugby league should have no dealings with Qatar. The racist state with no concern for its slave workforce  A corruption trial currently taking place in the States, witnesses have testified that qatar-had-15-million-dollars to-bribe-South American officials-to-vote-for-country-to-host-2022-fifa-world-cup

With its insidious use of money, Qatar has totally ruined football and is doing its best to do the same in athletics and handball. In both sports it has somehow "persuaded" athletes with no connection to the country to instead internationally represent the Middle Eastern nation. The PSG handball team which shares the same ownership as the football team, has a virtually unlimited budget to assemble a team which could double as a world selection (Omeyer, Karabatic, Hansen, Gensheimer, Abalo could all be regarded globally as the top player in their positions) Being a regular Paris resident, I have seen them play a lot. I appreciate the players for the skills they exhibit, but I am uncomfortable with the finance behind the team and the ethos that will create a club monopoly at European level. I was therefore delighted that PSG was defeated in the Champions League Final by a club from Macedonia. However this will no doubt be just a temporary blip and the likelihood is that no other European club will be in any position to compete with PSG for years to come.

I also speak as someone who has visited Qatar for the 2015 Handball World Championship. I had heard the stories about what a terrible country it was, the reality turned out to be much worse. I have visited 75 countries of which I have enjoyed 74, Qatar was the only one I found to have no redeeming features whatsoever. I experienced a deeply racist, sexist, unfriendly country where no local was prepared to engage with me at any level or any effort made to help tourists. The three days spent there were the longest and most miserable of my life. As far as I am concerned, to accept the tainted money from this morally bankrupt country would be far worse than the other code's support for the apartheid regime.

 

The trouble is when you start looking to work with ethical countries the list is very short.

Having been to Qatar I can tell you it wasnt pleasant, so I am not not completely dismissing what you are saying.

 

 

[Jace]

2 hours ago, flyingking said:

I do not care how much money they are prepared to invest, I want NO money to come into our game from Qatar. Jonathan Liew's article in the Independent makes it perfectly clear why rugby league should have no dealings with Qatar. The racist state with no concern for its slave workforce  A corruption trial currently taking place in the States, witnesses have testified that qatar-had-15-million-dollars to-bribe-South American officials-to-vote-for-country-to-host-2022-fifa-world-cup

With its insidious use of money, Qatar has totally ruined football and is doing its best to do the same in athletics and handball. In both sports it has somehow "persuaded" athletes with no connection to the country to instead internationally represent the Middle Eastern nation. The PSG handball team which shares the same ownership as the football team, has a virtually unlimited budget to assemble a team which could double as a world selection (Omeyer, Karabatic, Hansen, Gensheimer, Abalo could all be regarded globally as the top player in their positions) Being a regular Paris resident, I have seen them play a lot. I appreciate the players for the skills they exhibit, but I am uncomfortable with the finance behind the team and the ethos that will create a club monopoly at European level. I was therefore delighted that PSG was defeated in the Champions League Final by a club from Macedonia. However this will no doubt be just a temporary blip and the likelihood is that no other European club will be in any position to compete with PSG for years to come.

I also speak as someone who has visited Qatar for the 2015 Handball World Championship. I had heard the stories about what a terrible country it was, the reality turned out to be much worse. I have visited 75 countries of which I have enjoyed 74, Qatar was the only one I found to have no redeeming features whatsoever. I experienced a deeply racist, sexist, unfriendly country where no local was prepared to engage with me at any level or any effort made to help tourists. The three days spent there were the longest and most miserable of my life. As far as I am concerned, to accept the tainted money from this morally bankrupt country would be far worse than the other code's support for the apartheid regime.

Good grief!! Some of the things that get said on here is extremely mind boggling. Here we have someone willing to invest in the game and you're rambling on about unrelated matters as to why it shouldn't be accepted. What do they put in the water up there in England?

[kiwis 13 6]

There is a Sydney Lebanese gangster family called Ibrahim but I dont think this guy is a part of that. $40,000 sponsorship for a kids team that is insane. Very tempting offer to get involved in international rugby league but i hear what people say about treatment of migrant workers in Qatar as well.

[EastLondonMike]

I seem to recall ex-Leeds forward Wayne McDonald doing some work with RL in some universities (i think) in Saudi Arabia, and one of the kids playing was the son of a wealthy Sheik.. and always thought we should have been allover that connection for possible investment and spreading of the game, but as usual nothing came of it.

Investment of the levels spoken about would be great for RL in Australia, and potentially Superleague if theres a success and knock-on effect, but probably unlikely given any 'outsider' with any cash that comes into the game wanting to make an impact is usually left banging their head against closed doors.

Will be interesting to see this develop.

[MrPosh]

31 minutes ago, TheLegendOfTexEvans said:

 

The trouble is when you start looking to work with ethical countries the list is very short.

Having been to Qatar I can tell you it wasnt pleasant, so I am not not completely dismissing what you are saying.

 

 

I don't imagine that there are any ethical countries and if there are, I'd be surprised if RL is currently played in them.

Money is money, though, and if it can be used for good (and by that, fundamentally I mean growing the number of kids playing the game and getting healthy, as opposed to going through the game like a drain and ending up in players' pockets as has happened to football) then it's hard to turn down.

[Tre Cool]

2 hours ago, flyingking said:

I do not care how much money they are prepared to invest, I want NO money to come into our game from Qatar. Jonathan Liew's article in the Independent makes it perfectly clear why rugby league should have no dealings with Qatar. The racist state with no concern for its slave workforce  A corruption trial currently taking place in the States, witnesses have testified that qatar-had-15-million-dollars to-bribe-South American officials-to-vote-for-country-to-host-2022-fifa-world-cup

With its insidious use of money, Qatar has totally ruined football and is doing its best to do the same in athletics and handball. In both sports it has somehow "persuaded" athletes with no connection to the country to instead internationally represent the Middle Eastern nation. The PSG handball team which shares the same ownership as the football team, has a virtually unlimited budget to assemble a team which could double as a world selection (Omeyer, Karabatic, Hansen, Gensheimer, Abalo could all be regarded globally as the top player in their positions) Being a regular Paris resident, I have seen them play a lot. I appreciate the players for the skills they exhibit, but I am uncomfortable with the finance behind the team and the ethos that will create a club monopoly at European level. I was therefore delighted that PSG was defeated in the Champions League Final by a club from Macedonia. However this will no doubt be just a temporary blip and the likelihood is that no other European club will be in any position to compete with PSG for years to come.

I also speak as someone who has visited Qatar for the 2015 Handball World Championship. I had heard the stories about what a terrible country it was, the reality turned out to be much worse. I have visited 75 countries of which I have enjoyed 74, Qatar was the only one I found to have no redeeming features whatsoever. I experienced a deeply racist, sexist, unfriendly country where no local was prepared to engage with me at any level or any effort made to help tourists. The three days spent there were the longest and most miserable of my life. As far as I am concerned, to accept the tainted money from this morally bankrupt country would be far worse than the other code's support for the apartheid regime.

They haven't 'totally ruined football' that's melodramatic.  FIFA were/are bent as a 9 bob note and to win a world cup you had to use money in this way, it was literally the only way they could win the world cup of the biggest sport in the world. Every signinficant football association in the world is a member of FIFA so is every country in the world morally bankrupt too?  You not liking the country is hardly relevant at all.  I do agree with the human rights issues being a problem, and personally I'd like to see the nation address that.  Turning this kind of money away in the modern climate in a highly competitive sporting world would be fairly dumb.

[Fabou]

well, to be honest,  the only positive thing in the short term for RL development is that they want to host a tournament. good for me.

buying an existing NRL club has no direct "game changing" consequences...

[The Daddy]

Some people really talk a load of ###### on here. Ok then let's not promote RL in the US coz of the Iraq war.

In regards to this potential investment, I don't see any immediate benefits for the game in Europe and this article only references investment to NRL clubs who are already in a multi billion dollar competition. 

[DoubleD]

3 hours ago, Copa said:

The government of Oman gave $40,000 to a junior rugby league team in Sydney. They have the flag of Oman on their jerseys 

The same Australian business man was involved.

http://www.theleader.com.au/story/3918906/omani-sponsor-helps-juniors/

“And it all started when Mr Al Hashar began to show an interest in rugby league.

“We went into this meeting and I said to Tyson ‘just sit in the corner, don’t say anything, just watch,’” Mr Ibrahim said.

 

“But His Excellency said to him ‘you don’t learn anything by sitting in the corner’ and invited to sit next to him.

“From there he asked Tyson what sport he played and my son told him rugby league.

“Tyson showed him some rugby league on his phone and they loved it.

“So I asked sarcastically would he like to sponsor my son’s team. He asked how much and I just plucked a number $40,000 out of nowhere.

“And His Excellency’s chief of staff came back with a cheque and gave it to Tyson.”

 

I think they've got the shirt sizes mixed up

[DoubleD]

4 hours ago, Heritage XIII said:

Source: Daily Telegraph

IN what would be a historic game-changer for rugby league, a Qatar sheik worth an estimated $60 billion wants to invest in the NRL.

The Daily Telegraph can exclusively reveal that Sheik Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani has discussed either sponsoring an NRL club — or simply buying one.

He is the sixth-richest sheik in the world.

“Definitely, money, funding, isn’t an issue for us,” said Dr Khalid Mohammad, who calls himself a “spokesman to his Highness”.

“Rugby league is a very famous game in Australia, UK, New Zealand and all over the world.”

HURT: Roos must protect Cronk

SMASHED: Bennett and Stuart unite on injuries

GREATNESS: 10 best moments of the World Cup

Michael Ibrahim (left) with Qatar's Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani.Could this be the start of a new dawn for the game?

Some may be sceptical but Sheik Faisal’s interest in rugby league is genuine.

Sheik Faisal has befriended an NRL-loving Australian businessman, Michael Ibrahim, who has worked in the Middle East for the past 18 years.

The sheik has already injected money into the Pacific rugby league nations and is proposing a tournament in Doha, Qatar — involving Fiji, Tonga, Samoa and Qatar — late next year.

Ibrahim supplies building material for stadiums to be used in the 2022 Qatar Football World Cup, sells food — meat from Australia and chicken from Brazil — to the Qatar Government and is helping build a resort in Qatar.

Extremely well connected to the Qatar royal family, Ibrahim has direct contact with Sheik Faisal and is encouraging the financial giant to buy into rugby league. And that is exactly what the sheik plans to do.

Qatar's 2022 FIFA World Cup preparations have been dogged by controversy. (Getty Images)

The Daily Telegraph spoke in-depth about the sheik’s plans for rugby league through his spokesman, Dr Khalid Mohammad.

“I feel personally that this game represents our nation,” Dr Khalid said. “Rugby league is a game of strength, power and strategy.

“In Qatar, we are highly interested in rugby league and brother Michael Ibrahim is a very close friend of ours. We can sponsor the clubs in Australia.

“He told us there are some struggling clubs in Australia and we are willing to buy them with correlation from Michael Ibrahim. He is a very a well-connected man there.

A tournament including Tonga, Samoa and Fiji is on the cards. (AAP Image/David Rowland)

“We can definitely buy and give some support. Sheik Faisal Bin Qassim would be funding all the activities. Definitely it will give us a return in terms of investment.

“Qatar is the wealthiest country in the Islamic world. Money has never been a problem.

“But the main question is how to utilise the money for the fame and coverage you can get.

“People like rugby league in many countries but, for us, it is new. Football is very famous here but rugby league, we want to introduce it into our nation.

LISTEN! The World Cup final has arrived for both men and women and the League Central crew dissect an incredible tournament to date, the future of the international game and pick their winners as the league season draws to a close.

Download the League Central podcast via iTunes

“In Qatar, we are preparing for the World Cup and sport is a way of communicating and representing ourselves in the world.

“Michael Ibrahim has already introduced rugby league to us. In fact, we are planning to host a tournament with Tonga, Samoa and Fiji.”

Sheik Faisal’s family wealth is $60 billion, while his personal wealth is around $3 billion.

He owns more than 20 hotels throughout the world and high-end real estate in Qatar. He also sells medical supplies and pharmaceuticals.

 

Ibrahim, 44, who claims to be “very close” to the royal family, is a Sydney-born rugby league fanatic. He lives between Sydney and Qatar.

“I’m an entrepreneur,” said Ibrahim, who owns a company called Aqeeq Holdings.

“And I’m a massive Dragons fan. I bleed red and white. I have been telling them about our game and they’re not short of a quid.

“Money won’t be an issue for them. Who knows, there may even be another Super League? The money is there.

“This will be a win-win situation. They are a sport-driven country. That’s why they went for the World Cup soccer.

“There would be interest in rugby league in Qatar, they would love it.

“Unfortunately, our clubs don’t see beyond Australia. You’ve got to look elsewhere to find that corporate dollar. Clubs are doing it tough here.”

According to Forbes magazine, Sheik Faisal “has a museum in Doha where he houses more than 15,000 artefacts, including ancient coins, Islamic art and antique cars.”

He owns one of the largest conglomerates in Qatar.

 

Wow, thanks. This really has got the potential to sheik things up

[paulwalker71]

38 minutes ago, DoubleD said:

Wow, thanks. This really has got the potential to sheik things up

I'm actually disappointed this thread got to 21 posts before someone said that...  

[damp squib]

34 minutes ago, paulwalker71 said:

I'm actually disappointed this thread got to 21 posts before someone said that...  

Nobody wanted to rock the casbah.

[The Daddy]

1 hour ago, DoubleD said:

Wow, thanks. This really has got the potential to sheik things up

You forgot yr coat.