'Fun, happiness and new friendships,' surprising benefits of volunteering

Record ID: 1700765

  • Title: 'Fun, happiness and new friendships,' surprising benefits of volunteering
  • Date: 5th December 2022
  • Summary: DOHA, QATAR (DECEMBER 5, 2022) (REUTERS) ***WARNING: CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** FIFA WORLD CUP VOLUNTEERS POSING WITH QATAR 2022 WORLD CUP TROPHY VARIOUS OF ARAB VOLUNTEER POSING WITH TROPHY QATAR 2022 WORLD CUP TROPHY ENCLOSED IN GLASS CASE VOLUNTEERS QUEUEING FOR PHOTO VOLUNTEERS FROM DIFFERENT COUNTRIES IN QUEUE W0RLD CUP TROPHY VOLUNTEERS POSING (SOUNDBITE) (English) 76-YEAR-OLD GERMAN VOLUNTEER AND RETIRED SPORTS TEACHER AND FOOTBALL COACH, HUBERT BIHLER, SAYING: “It gives me such a feeling to work in an international team for the success of an event here. And I did it again and again. It started in 2005, 2006, and that’s the reason why I was always applying. And I enjoyed it. And it’s my first experience in the Asian, Arab area. And I feel here such a hospitality, and such empathy and friendliness of all the people I am dealing with. That makes me happy.” VARIOUS OF BIHLER POSING WITH CO-VOLUNTEERS NEXT TO WORLD CUP TROPHY (SOUNDBITE) (English) 76-YEAR-OLD GERMAN VOLUNTEER AND RETIRED SPORTS TEACHER AND FOOTBALL COACH, HUBERT BIHLER, SAYING: “I was, my whole life was revolving in sports, especially in football. I started as a player, then as a coach, referee, president, photographer, I found my glove. And I was a teacher in sports and maths before. And in my second life now, I am volunteering. I just got retired, and then I started this. And it’s recommended to young people to have such an experience. It’s (makes you) more open-minded.” BIHLER SHOWING HIS ACCREDITATION IDS FROM DIFFERENT WORLD CUPS INCLUDING IN SOUTH AFRICA, BRAZIL AND GERMANY (SOUNDBITE) (German) 76-YEAR-OLD GERMAN VOLUNTEER AND RETIRED SPORTS TEACHER AND FOOTBALL COACH, HUBERT BIHLER, SAYING: “It makes me happy to work in a team for the success of an event. That’s the most beautiful thing for me.” VOLUNTEERS AT AL JANOUB STADIUM CHEERING, ONE SAYING (English) “Thank you team”/ ANOTHER SAYING (English) “Happy international volunteers day!”/ ANOTHER SAYING (French): “Long live Qatar!” VOLUNTEERS TALKING TO EACH OTHER ZIMBABWEAN MOTHER AND SON, RUFARO MAKAMBIRA CHINDALO AND KUNDAI CHINDALO, SITTING IN VOLUNTEERS CENTRE AND SHOWING VOLUNTEERS’ FLAG (SOUNDBITE) (English) ZIMBABWEAN VOLUNTEER RUFARO MAKAMBIRA CHINDALO, SAYING: “I did more than 10 volunteering experiences that were happening in Qatar. So it really made me to open up, to have friends, people I could talk to, instead of being in hospital thinking of my dad being sick. I really got friends and I was happy. I learned some skills, you know. I thought I was going to give something to volunteering. Yes I did. But I even got more.” VOLUNTEERS AT AL JANOUB STADIU GIVING THUMBS UP, ONE FILIPINO VOLUNTEER SAYING (English) “We are proud to be part of this FIFA World Cup!” VOLUNTEERS GOING UP STADIUM STEPS VOLUNTEERS WALKING TO STADIUM (SOUNDBITE) (English) ZIMBABWEAN VOLUNTEER RUFARO MAKAMBIRA CHINDALO, SAYING: “We have fun games, we interact, we make friends, and it’s lovely to be there (at main media centre). Volunteering is also, we have fun. We work together and have fun as well.” DOHA, QATAR (RECENT - NOVEMBER 15, 2022) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF OF QATARI PLAYERS SIGNING FOOTBALLS VOLUNTEERS AND PLAYERS CHEERING AND POSING FOR A GROUP PHOTO DOHA, QATAR (NOVEMBER 16, 2022) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF VOLUNTEERS PLAYING FOOTBALL WITH PLAYERS OF SOUTH KOREA TEAM VOLUNTEER TAKING A PENALTY KICK SOUTH KOREAN GOALKEEPER MISSING BALL VOLUNTEERS CHEERING PRACTICE GAME BETWEEN VOLUNTEERS AND SOUTH KOREA TEAM DOHA, QATAR (DECEMBER 5, 2022) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) QATARI BANK WORKER WHO VOLUNTEERED FOR WORLD CUP, HABEEB KHAIFAN, SAYING: “For us it was a big dream for Qatar to host this the World Cup, and now the dream became reality. And I am extremely happy to be part of this global event, even if it’s a small part.” NAMES OF VOLUNTEERS ON WALL IN VOLUNTEERS CENTRE VOLUNTEER MOHAMED ABO MRIGA LOOKING FOR HIS NAME MRIGA POINTING AT HIS NAME VOLUNTEERS LOOKING FOR THEIR NAMES (SOUNDBITE) (English) QATAR WORLD CUP WORKFORCE DIRECTOR, RASHA AL QARNI, SAYING: “The trainings and the testing events that we’ve been going through involving all our volunteers have helped us a lot to build a legacy, not just for the state of Qatar but for the region as well. It gave a lot of opportunities for our volunteers - more than 20,000 - to find their passion, to grow.” SIGN IN VOLUNTEERS CENTRE THAT READS #FIFAVOLUNTEER AFRICAN VOLUNTEERS WALKING PAST AL JANOUB STADIUM ARAB VOLUNTEERS WALKING PAST STADIUM
  • Embargoed: 19th December 2022 12:56
  • Keywords: FIFA Qatar 2022 Qatar World Cup Volunteers
  • Location: DOHA, QATAR
  • City: DOHA, QATAR
  • Country: Qatar
  • Topics: Middle East,Sport,World Cup
  • Reuters ID: LVA001445705122022RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: FIFA marked International Volunteer Day at the Qatar World Cup on Monday (December 5), paying tribute to their thousands of volunteers who help run the tournament.
    Many of the them gathered at Volunteer Hub in Doha, posing for photos next to the golden World Cup trophy while others happily headed to their stadium duties.
    Around 20,000 volunteers from 150 nations joined the Qatar World Cup. Most work in the soccer stadiums across the country, guiding spectators, others in the media facility, while some are involved in administration.
    German former footballer and teacher, Hubert Bihler, has joined 60 mega sport events, including six World Cups and five Olympics.
    “It makes me happy to work in a team for the success of an event. That’s the most beautiful thing for me,” said the 76-year-old native of Rottweil, who wore his ID’s from the World Cup in Russia, South Africa, Brazil and others.
    “I just got retired, and then I started this. In my second life now, I am volunteering. And it’s recommended to young people to have such an experience,” Bihler said, adding that it was first time volunteering in a sporting event in the Arab region.
    Zimbabwean Rufaro Makambira Chindalo came to Qatar to seek medical treatment for her sick father. She said she found solace in volunteering for sports events such as the Arab Cup, and now the World Cup.
    “It really made me to open up, to have friends I could talk to, instead of being in hospital thinking of my dad being sick. I thought I was going to give something to volunteering. Yes I did. But I even got more,” Chindalo said, sitting beside her son Kundai, who successfully applied as a volunteer.
    They were re-united after three years of being apart, thanks to the Qatar World Cup.
    Some volunteers had the chance to meet some soccer stars including David Beckham and Yaya Toure, and others played football with the national teams of Qatar, South Korea and Australia.
    “The trainings and the testing events that we’ve been going through involving all our volunteers have helped us a lot to build a legacy, not just for the state of Qatar but for the region as well,” said the Qatar 2022 World Cup committee’s workforce director, Rasha Al Qarni.
    (Production: Ayhan Uyanik, Michaela Cabrera)
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