Lausanne; 7 October 2020: The Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC) will celebrate the one year anniversary of the ANOC World Beach Games Qatar 2019 next week with a social media campaign that will re-live some of the unforgettable moments from the event.

On each day that the Games took place (12-16 October), ANOC will post videos and photos across its social media channels and website that showcase the spectacular sports highlights of the Games. Nearly 1,300 athletes from 97 NOCs competed across 13 sports (14 disciplines) at the inaugural edition of the ANOC World Beach Games, producing breath-taking sporting displays as well as moments of great sportsmanship.

ANOC has welcomed and encouraged its NOCs to share and post their own highlights during the anniversary week and has shared rights-free high-quality images from the Games with each NOC. Acting ANOC President Robin Mitchell said:

“We are greatly looking forward to celebrating the anniversary of the ANOC World Beach Games Qatar 2019 and reliving some of its best moments. A lot has changed in the year since we hosted the Games. But now more than ever it is important to celebrate and promote the inspiring and joyful power of sport. The ANOC World Beach Games is about more than elite competition, it is also a global festival of sport and culture that unites NOCs from all five continents.”

To mark the one year anniversary of the official opening of the Games (12 October), ANOC will also publish a special highlights video as well as a special ANOC World Beach Games edition of the ANOC newsletter. The newsletter will include interviews with Presidents of NOCs and International Federations (IFs) who will discuss the impact of the Games on their organisations, as well as interviews with ANOC and the hosts, the Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC).

ANOC Secretary General Gunilla Lindberg, who helped lead on the delivery of the ANOC World Beach Games, added:

“The ANOC World Beach Games provided an opportunity for NOCs to connect with new athletes, new sports and a new generation of fans. It provided a global platform for athletes to showcase their talents and engage people around the world. One year on, we have already seen the impact of the Games as many NOCs have reported that Qatar 2019 has inspired more young people to practice beach sports in their countries. It is important that ANOC and the NOCs keep up that momentum and use the anniversary of the Games to promote the new sports stars they created and engage the youth.”