Generation Amazing partners with KAS Eupen for legacy initiatives

Generation Amazing and KAS Eupen have launched a partnership to develop essential life skills through football for youth in Belgium, Qatar and beyond.

The collaboration will focus on teaching social development skills, such as communication, teamwork and leadership, while increasing inclusion through football sessions.

The partnership was announced during a Eupen home game against Zulte Waregem at the Kehrwegstadion in the presence of the Qatari Ambassador to Belgium and the European Union, H.E. Abdulrahman bin Mohammed Sulaiman Al Khulaifi.

A video showcasing the collaboration was shared with fans on the night, before a signing ceremony took place on the pitch.

"Generation Amazing and Eupen coming together is an important initiative as part of the programme by the Supreme Committee and the State of Qatar, which aims to transform and improve the lives of young people through football all over the world. Through Generation Amazing, my country is targeting vulnerable and disadvantaged youth and empowering them to become leaders in more inclusive communities," said Al Khulaifi.  

Eupen have also decided show their support on their shirts, as they become the first top division football team to have the Generation Amazing logo adorned on the sleeve of their jerseys.

For Mushtaq Al Waeli, Generation Amazing Executive Director, the partnership is another step on the way towards reaching 1 million beneficiaries by 2022.

"We are delighted to be joining with Eupen, who have joint values and a mission to use football to help others, just as Generation Amazing has been doing since 2010," he said. "The launch of this value-in-kind partnership will help us to reach our objective to help empower and educate over 1 million youth across different parts of the world before 2022."

Generation Amazing Programme Director, Nasser Al Khori, was also present on the night and expressed his excitement at having Eupen join efforts to bring the programme to refugee and other communities. 

He said: "We're thrilled to have such a community-conscious team like Eupen join us in our mission to bring this football for development programme to children and refugees in Belgium." 

Eupen, who do regular community work with local children through organising charity events for fans and involving children in football activations, are keen to include more refugee children in their future activities.

Dr. Andreas Bleicher, representative of the Eupen Board of Directors, added: "We are honoured to support the noble initiatives of Generation Amazing related to the integration of refugees as well as inclusion programmes using the power of football. To support others in need is near to our hearts and we are grateful that Generation Amazing has such an international approach and that we can support this idea in our region around eastern Belgium."

The Eupen Ambassador for Generation Amazing, football legend Claude Makelele, expressed his happiness to be part of a social project to support refugees as well as disabled persons through football. He added: "There are millions of child refugees as well as disabled persons around the world. Each individual deserves to be treated in a human way and I fully support this initiative of Generation Amazing and my club Eupen."

Generation Amazing is the human and social legacy programme initiated during Qatar's successful bid for the FIFA World Cup 2022 in 2010, which uses the power of sport to positively impact lives and create sustainable social development in communities.

More than 500,000 beneficiaries have been reached to-date across seven countries in the Middle East and Asia: Qatar, Nepal, Pakistan, Jordan, Lebanon, the Philippines and India. The initiative with Eupen marks the launch of Generation Amazing programmes in Belgium.