Fourth Annual Doha GOALS Forum Opens This Weekend in Los Angeles

DOHA, Qatar, July 22, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- The fourth annual Doha GOALS Forum, the world's leading platform for social and economic progress through sport, opens this weekend in Los Angeles, CA – the first time the event has been held outside Qatar. More than 100 speakers, including world-class athletes, policy makers, global CEOs and leading NGOs, will join 280 students from 23 top sport management programs in the United States and Canada to create a roadmap for social improvement through sports and launch cross-border initiatives.

H.E. Sheikh Faisal bin Mubarak Al Thani, Executive Director of Doha GOALS, said: "Doha GOALS is more than just a gathering of inspiring individuals; it is a platform highlighting the huge impact sport can have on the lives of less privileged, and those suffering hardship in their lives."

Since its launch in 2012, Doha GOALS Forum has convened more than 5,000 participants from 124 countries to discuss how sport can be used to solve some of the world's greatest social and economic challenges.

Participants and Panels

World-class champions confirmed to speak at Doha GOALS include Michael Phelps, Mark Spitz, Travis Pastrana, Nadia Comaneci, Carl Lewis and Meryl Davis. They will be joined by some of the most prominent business leaders, ministers, and NGOs including:

• Maria Shriver – Broadcast Journalist; International Board Member, Special Olympics
• Michael Combes – CEO, Alcatel-Lucent
• Linda Cohn – National sports broadcast journalist
• Dallas Oberholzer – Founder & Director, Indigo Youth Movement
• Casey Wasserman - Chairman and CEO, Wasserman Media Group
• Tokyo Sexwale – President, Global Watch
• Manjit Singh – President, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
• Lisa Delpy Nierotti – Professor, Director of Sport Management, George Washington University

This year's three-day summit will feature a series of panel discussions, key notes, and insightful one-on-one conversations with sporting superstars. Among the relevant and thought-provoking topics to be discussed are:

• The Changing Business of Sports, discussing the new business models in the sports industry
• The Power of Diversity in Sports, highlighting the major responsibility of sports to create a more inclusive and diverse society   
• Equal Opportunity in Sports, stressing the importance of equal sporting opportunities for girls and boys

View the complete program including participants, moderators and keynote speakers here: http://www.dohagoals.com/en/agenda/home

Youth-Focused

For the fourth consecutive year, Doha GOALS Forum will showcase its commitment to developing the leaders of tomorrow through its renowned Student Ambassador Program. Through an unprecedented partnership with Special Olympics, Doha GOALS Forum will promote creating a global community of inclusion. Throughout the event, students from both the Student Ambassador Program and Special Olympics' social impact summit, GenUin, will actively participate in taskforces.

"The Student Ambassador Program provides students with a strong learning experience and a great networking opportunity to share their ideas and change and shape society through sports. Many of our Student Ambassadors have created initiatives in their communities to extend the reach of the Doha GOALS mission into the next generation," explained Executive Producer, Richard Attias. "We have established a community of thousands of people and organisations to work together and form new partnerships. We look forward to continuing this momentum through the fourth annual Doha GOALS Forum."

Among the 23 participating universities this year are UCLA, University of Texas, University of Michigan, and Georgetown University. In addition, Ohio University and University of Central Florida, ranked as the top two graduate sport management programs in the world by SportsBusiness International, will play a role. These students will have the opportunity to speak to sporting champions first-hand, to learn about the importance of mobilizing young people for social good, and building partnerships.

Follow the Event Live!

A live stream of Doha GOALS Forum will be available beginning Sunday, July 26 at 9:00 AM PST at www.dohagoals.com.  Additionally, the event can be followed on Twitter @DohaGOALS, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/DohaGoals, or Instagram at Doha_Goals, or YouTube at Doha Goals.

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For all other enquiries, email [email protected].  www.dohagoals.com 

About Doha GOALS Forum
Doha GOALS is the world's premier platform focusing on sport as a driver of social and economic change. Doha GOALS, the Gathering Of All Leaders in Sport, convenes each year to create partnerships and initiatives for global progress through sport. From July 25-27, 2015, the Doha GOALS Forum will partner with Special Olympics for the three-day summit in Los Angeles, the first Forum held outside Qatar. Four key themes thread through this fourth Doha GOALS Forum: building a movement through sport, the imperative for inclusion, sport's power to create bridges across divides in our societies, and sport as a catalyst for transformation and change. Join the conversation on: Twitter @dohagoals; Facebook.com/DohaGoals; Instagram @doha_goals; YouTube @dohagoals; #dohagoals.

About Special Olympics
Special Olympics is a global movement that unleashes the human spirit through the transformative power and joy of sports, every day around the world. We empower people with intellectual disabilities to become accepted and valued members of their communities, which leads to a more respectful and inclusive society for all.  Using sports as the catalyst and programming around health and education, Special Olympics is fighting inactivity, injustice and intolerance.  Founded in 1968 by Eunice Kennedy Shriver, the Special Olympics movement has grown to more than 4.4 million athletes in 170 countries.  With the support of more than 1.3 million coaches and volunteers, Special Olympics delivers 32 Olympic-type sports and more than 81,000 games and competitions throughout the year.  Special Olympics is supported by individuals, foundations and partners, including the Christmas Records Trust, the Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics®, The Coca-Cola Company, The Walt Disney Company and ESPN, Lions Clubs International, Mattel, Microsoft, P&G, Bank of America, Essilor Vision Foundation, the B. Thomas Golisano Foundation, Finish Line, The Safeway Foundation, and Safilo Group. Visit Special Olympics at www.specialolympics.org.  Engage with us on: Twitter @specialolympics; fb.com/specialolympics; youtube.com/specialolympicshq, instagram.com/specialolympics and specialolympicsblog.wordpress.com

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