DOHA TODAY04 MONDAY 28 DECEMBER 2020
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Qatari artist breathes new life into lifeless wallsRAYNALD C
RIVERATHE PENINSULA
Spray paint is his brush, the blank wall his canvas. Qatari
artist Mubarak Al Malik carefully fashions his subject with clear
vision and intent on spreading the distinctive beauty of his
culture and the innate warmth of his people.
Anyone who happens to visit Al-Abraj Park these days is most
likely to feel delighted and wel-comed seeing Al Malik’s latest
mural depicting a woman in Batoola - a golden metallic-looking face
covering traditionally used by older women in Qatar - carrying an
incense burner. Using lively colours, Al Malik puts his personal
touch and a modern twist to the traditional elements in his
piece.
“In Al-Abraj Park, I have pre-sented the woman in Batoola with
the Mdkhan (incense burner) in her hand, where the Mdkhan expresses
welcoming, authenticity and orig-inality. I’ve also included red
roses as a greeting with love and kindness. I hope that people like
it and enjoy my art,” Al Malik told The Peninsula.
He has also created another stunning mural at the Fire Station
using similar motif.
A versatile and well-travelled artist who has represented Qatar
in many events both locally and abroad, Al Malik has taken keen
interest in graffiti art seeing how street artists in other parts
of the world bring an important part of their culture to a broader
audience.
“From my previous travels abroad I used to see artworks and
murals by artists from all over the world as they implement their
own symbols of their countries, so I decided to use the Batoola
which is in most of my artworks. The Batoola is considered one of
the heritage and popular symbols in Qatar,” he said.
The artist is exceptionally fluent and adept in traditional art
forms
including sculpture and fine arts, but his appreciation of
graffiti art was born out of “my personal desire to add aesthetic
and artistic touches to some remote or old places, and I developed
this applying my own patterns and lines implementing them on murals
in many official places in Qatar.”
Al Malik is one of the 17 Qatari and expatriate artists actively
involved in Jedariart, a fresh Qatar Museums initiative aimed to
further enhance public art in Qatar by allowing artists to create
stunning murals in a number of locations across the country.
“No doubt I feel very pleased and honoured to be one of the
chosen artists for this important project especially because it’s
cov-ering places all over Qatar to give the city a glimpse of art,”
he said, while lauding how the initiative helps a diverse group of
artists.
“What makes this project unique is that there are many names and
some of them are artists, who for the first time are imple-menting
artistic works on murals
and large spaces, so it is considered a beautiful opportunity
for them to unleash their energies and introduce people to their
art,” he stressed.
Held in partnership with The Supreme Committee of
Beautifi-cation of Roads and Public Places, QRail, Woqod, and the
Fire Station: Artist in Residence, Jedariart wit-nesses the
participating artists create their mark in various loca-tions such
as Al-Abraj Park, Al-Asmakh area, Doha Festival City Interchange,
Al Khor Interchange, Post Office Park, 5/6 Park, 5/6 Flyover, Qatar
National Library Metro Station and the Woqod Petrol Station in
Fereej Kulaib.
Acting Director of Public Art Department at Qatar Museums,
Abdulrahman Al Ishaq, is upbeat on how this large-scale project
will contribute to further enhancing the country’s already vibrant
art land-scape especially when it comes to public art.
“The Jedariart Initiative is the first of its kind in Doha,
allowing artists the permission to activate
walls of the city with mural art. While Qatar’s art scene has an
established community of galleries, museums and various art spaces,
Jedariart has brought art outside these four walls. Jedariart will
add colour to the streets in a way that is relatable and
reminiscent of Qatar’s cultural landscape. By allowing the chosen
artists the freedom to implement their con-cepts and designs onto
various walls around the city, we hope to add value to Doha’s
infrastructure and activate spaces,” Al Ishaq told The
Peninsula.
Qatar’s public art scene has seen meteoric rise in recent years
with massive number of artworks that pop up all over the country,
both by prominent local artists and globally renowned names.
“In the past few years, there has been a great interest in
public art in Qatar, as Qatar has become full of artworks all over,
and of course we are grateful to Qatar Museums for these efforts,”
said Al Malik, citing works by Richard Serra, Louise Bourgeois, and
Ali Hassan as some of the notable pieces that attract attention of
visitors to Qatar.
Travellers to Qatar can even enjoy a great number of these
public art pieces without leaving Hamad International Airport as
the airport is home to a vast collection of works by celebrated
artists, he noted.
Public art has been an important aspect of the country’s art
scene, and with the current challenges posed by the COVID-19
pandemic, it has become even more relevant.
“Public art has played a vital role in the country’s art
landscape by creating memorable landmarks and food for thought,"
said Al Ishaq.
"The current COVID-19 situ-ation has been challenging, however,
it has not hindered our progress as a department in deliv-ering
public art projects around the city whether they are direct
commissions or through our Open Call Programs including
Jedariart, our 6/5 Initiative and Student Com-petition. While
galleries and museums have been closed during the pandemic
worldwide, public art often expands outdoors and has given the
community a space to still interact with art,” added Al Ishaq.
KRCC wins TWA Cricket LeagueTHE PENINSULA - DOHA
KRCC team beat Doha Knight Riders to claim the Telangana Welfare
Asso-ciation Cricket League.
The event was hosted by TWA as part of its welfare activities
for bluecollar workers with nominal entry fees and subsidised fees
to few teams.
Ten teams participated in the competition.
Prizes were distributed to the man of the match, man of the
series, best bowler, best batsman and best sup-porter, runners-up
and winners.
TWA President Khaja Nizamuddin congratulated KRCC for their
victory. He praised the other participating teams for making the
competition interesting and called for more activ-ities toward
healthy lifestyle.
The tournament was conducted to promote sports and develop the
rela-tions within the Telugu Community in Qatar.
Nizamuddin thanked the guests and the association’s sports
secretary for making the competition a success.
Bangladesh Ambassador hails expat cricket teamTHE PENINSULA -
DOHA
Ambassador of Bangladesh to Qatar H E Md. Jashim Uddin
congratulated the expatriate Bangladeshi cricket team in Qatar for
finishing as runners-up in the Qatar National Day Cricket
Tournament.
The Qatar Cricket Association (QCA) organised a tournament among
expatriates from Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka to mark
Qatar National Day. The expatriate Bangladeshi cricket team reached
the final by defeating Sri Lanka by eight
wickets. They, however, lost the final against India.
The Ambassador was present at the opening ceremony of the
tournament at the Cricket Stadium in Asian City. President of Qatar
Cricket Association Yusef Jehem Al Kuwari, Bangladesh Team Manager
Md. Aminul Islam and Coach Bulbul Ahmed, and dignitaries were
present at the opening ceremony. The Ambassador also met the
expatriate Bangladeshi cricketers and thanked them for their
contribution to sports despite having regular jobs.
THE PENINSULA – DOHA
The Aligarh Muslim University Alumni Association Qatar (AMUAAQ),
an associate organization of ICBF under the Embassy of India-Qatar,
celebrated the 100 years of AMU recently.
To mark the milestone occasion, AMUAAQ also launched a mobile
app and membership card.
The Ambassador of India to Qatar, H E Dr. Deepak Mittal, was the
chief guest from Qatar, and Vice-Chancellor, AMU Aligarh Prof.
Tariq Mansoor, was the chief guest from India. SRH Fahmi (First
Secretary Indian Embassy, Qatar), Hasan Chougule (Entrepreneur),
Ahmed Kazi (CCT), Naseem Ahmad (Retd. IAS & Ex-VC AMU Aligarh),
Prof. Zaheeruddin (PVC, AMU Aligarh), Prof. MM Sufyan Beg
(Principal ZHCET and Chairman Alumni Affairs Committee Aligarh),
Prof Najmul Islam (GS-AMUTA) and Prof. Rahat Abrar ( EX-PRO, AMU),
Mahesh Gowda (Acting President. ICBF), attended the programme. Omar
Peerzada (PRO, AMU Aligarh), the main guest speaker, spoke on the
topic ‘100 Years of AMU Achievement and Future Expectation.’
Avinash Gaikwad (GS-ICBF), Mohammed Sultan (CCT), Obaid Tahir,
Shahabuddin Ahmad, and Arshia attended the event as special
guests.
In his address, Ambassador Mittal said that Sir Syed Ahmed Khan
was one of the world’s greatest educationists and felt great to be
a part of this event. He highlighted AMUAAQ’s achievements in
education, community service, and sports and congratulated the
alumni for the university completion of 100 years.
Upon completing AMU’s
remarkable journey of 100 years, the Vice-Chancellor, Professor
Tariq Mansoor, congratulated the students, teachers, non-teaching
staff, alumni, and well-wishers.
“This day is not only an occasion to celebrate but also to
express our indebtedness and gratitude to the illustrious community
leaders who strove hard to get MAO College upgraded into Aligarh
Muslim University. We also remember all those who contributed to
the all-round development and growth of the university and making
it an Institution of national and international reputation,” Prof.
Mansoor said.
“It is a matter of pride and self-containment that the
university has made steady progress since its
inception in 1920. It is at present included amongst the
top-ranked Indian universities due to its faculty’s concerted
efforts and focused research of its scholars,” he added.
Meanwhile, First Secretary Indian Embassy, Qatar SRH Fahmi,
requested all AMU alumni to work towards the benefit of their alma
mater and contribute more towards education. He congratulated all
the alumni worldwide.
AMUAAQ President Jawed Ahmad, in his address, gave a brief on
Sir Syed Ahmed Khan. He reiterated a long-standing demand to the
Indian government to confer Sir Syed Ahmed Khan with Bharat Ratna
to recognize his contributions to the nation’s development towards
education and
communal harmony. Ahmad congratulated all the
Aligarians for being exemplary ambassadors of their alma mater
and contributing meaningfully towards realizing Sir Syed’s dream.
He enjoined them to work hard and raise the school’s standards to
give Sir Syed Ahmed Khan a complete tribute.
Hassan Chougle, in his address, said that all Aligarian in Qatar
should come together to fulfill the AMUAAQ mission towards
community and alma mater. He appreciated the AMUAAQ for their
tremendous efforts towards community services.
In his speech, Ahmed Kazi praised the association for its
efforts it is making for the progress of the university and
community. He also
mentioned that education can be spread easily now by applying
technology.
AMUAAQ General Secretary Farman Khan talked about the
association’s activities like the Zaiqa E Aligarh, including women
empowerment and child abuse. Other engagements include alumni meet,
free medical camp, felicitation program, beach cleaning, supporting
and standing with India and AMU, and supporting the community
financially, especially area affected by the coronavirus (COVID-19)
in India. AMUAAQ also carried out many one-on-one activities to
build brotherhood and a positive environment among all residing in
Qatar. It helped those in need to benefit from the Vande Bharat
Mission flights etc.
Several games were held online and winners were presented with
their prizes.
05MONDAY 28 DECEMBER 2020 DOHA TODAY
THROUGH THE LENS
Ambassador Mittal said that Sir Syed Ahmed Khan was one of the
world’s greatest educationists and felt great to be a part of this
event. He highlighted AMUAAQ’s achievements in education, community
service, and sports and congratulated the alumni as the university
completes 100 years.
AMUAAQ marks centenary milestone of AMU
AMUAAQ members celebrating 100 years of Aligarh Muslim
University (AMU).
MSDCA celebrates completion of first term with cricket
tourneyTHE PENINSULA – DOHA
The MS Dhoni Cricket Academy (MSDCA) branch in Doha recently
completed its first term and celebrated the occasion with a
National Day friendly tournament for their budding talents.
After the end of three months of preparations, the junior (ages
7-9) and senior (ages 10-15) cat-egory players were deemed ready to
take part in proper games and thus got the oppor-tunity to play at
the Asian Town Cricket Stadium, Qatar ’s premier cricketing venue,
for the first time.
The matches were followed by a prize dis-tribution ceremony to
honour the best per-formers. Prominent sports officials from the
Indian community were present at the event to show their support
for the young cricketers.
Indian Sports Centre vice-presidents Sharaf P Hameed and EP
Abdurahiman were in attendance at the prize distribution ceremony,
alongside Nisha Agarwal ISC - General Secretary
Adv. Jafarkhan (ICC - Sports head) Safeeru-rahman( ISC -
Secretary football) Zeyaul Haque, ,Nihad Ali (QIA Convener)and
Riyaz Cheeroth- Ibn Ajayan projects sports convener
The MSDCA’s Doha branch is a joint venture between Aarka Sports,
the management firm of MS Dhoni and Absolute Sports Academy, a
leading multi-sports coaching institution in Qatar. The branch
started its operations earlier this year.
Students of the MS Dhoni Cricket Academy pose with their
certificates after completing the first term.
Organisers review Kalanjali 2019, postpone 2020 edition due to
COVID-19THE PENINSULA – DOHA
Mediapen, in association with Ideal Indian School & Radio
Malayalam 98.6, recently conducted a review programme themed
‘Reflections on Qatar Indian School Festival (Kalanjali 2019).’
The programme was held to review Kalanjali 2019 and announce the
postponement of Kalanjali 2020 to 2021 due to the pandemic.
Kalanjali 2019 & Ideal Indian School President Dr. Hassan
Kunhi M.P, the Chief Guest, offered his support for Kalanjali 2021.
Speaking on the occasion Ideal Indian School President Dr. Hassan
Kunhi said that pro-grammes like Kalanjali would provide students
and schools a platform to compete and send a message of
togetherness, rela-tionship and help the children to stars of the
future.
Chairman of Kalanjali 2019 and President DPS MES Hassan AK
Chougule, through a video message, said events like Kalanjali are
needed right now to help the students develop their skills.
Kalanjali 2019 General Con-vener & Principal of Ideal Indian
School Syed Shoukath Ali, General Coordinator & General Manager
Binu Kumar, all attended the event.
More than 170 companies, with a wide range of products from
around the world including Qatar, Turkey, Syria, Morocco, Tunisia,
China, Iran, Pakistan and India, are participating in the Doha
Winter Trade Fair being held at the Doha Exhibition and Convention
Center (DECC). A variety of clothes, Abayas, accessories, perfumes,
cosmetics, furniture, carpets and foodstuff are on display at the
venue. PICS:ABDUL BASIT/THE PENINSULA
MES student bags silver in online math eventTHE PENINSULA –
DOHA
Aaesha Fathima Basheer, a 4th Grade student of MES Indian
School, bagged Silver in Harangue (Declamation) in the Mathphi,
International Online Math Event, which was conducted recently for
students aged 8 to 16 years by City Montessori School, Lucknow,
India.
A total of 216 students from 58 schools in various
countries, including eight stu-dents from MES Indian School,
participated in the compe-tition. Vanshika Kapur of Grade 4 and
Haizam Nishab of Grade 7 was awarded first and second consolation
prizes in Jingle It Loud’ and Poster Making, respectively.
All the participants were awarded a participation e-certificate.
Hameeda Kadar, Principal M.E.S Indian School, congratulated the
winners.
An MES Indian School student giving her presentation during the
competition.
