QATAR AIRWAYS CONGRATULATES WINNER AT WORLD SQUASH TOURNAMENT IN DOHA

Airline Title Sponsor Of Key Sporting Event

Doha, QATAR — 2012-12-17 — /travelprnews.com/ — Qatar Airways, Official Airline of the Men’s Qatar PSA World Championship 2012, congratulates World Champion Ramy Ashour from Egypt on winning this year’s squash tournament in Doha.

In what can only be described as exhilarating, Ashour defeated fellow countryman Mohamed El Shorbagy during the finals held on December 14 at Khalifa International Tennis & Squash Complex in the Qatari capital.

Ashour’s 2-11, 11-6, 11-5, 9-11, 11-8 win after battling against El Shorbagy for 90 minutes kept fans on the edge as the game unfolded.

Ashour, who at 16 became the youngest ever World Junior champion, along with 64 other players from 21 countries, was yet another competitor.

Qatar Airways has enjoyed being involved in numerous squash tournaments over the years and was pleased to reinforce its support as the title sponsor of the PSA World Squash Championship 2012, held in Doha between December 7 – 14.

“We extend our congratulations to Ramy Ashour on his championship win. We are extremely pleased that Qatar had the opportunity to host such an elite event showcasing the best players in the world of squash,” said Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker.

“Sport is one of the key pillars of our strategy, ensuring we spread the message of sport through our support of various events in Doha and overseas.”

Qatar Airways will launch services to a diverse portfolio of new routes during the first half of 2013, namely to Gassim, Saudi Arabia (7 January 2013); Najaf, Iraq (January 23); Phnom Penh, Cambodia (February 20); Chengdu, China (March 19); Chicago, USA (April 10); and Salalah, Oman (May 22).

Since the beginning of 2012, Qatar Airways has launched flights to 12 new destinations – Baku (Azerbaijan); Tbilisi (Georgia); Kigali (Rwanda); Zagreb (Croatia), Erbil (Iraq), Baghdad (Iraq), Perth (Australia), Kilimanjaro (Tanzania); Yangon (Myanmar), Maputo (Mozambique), Belgrade (Serbia) and Warsaw (Poland).

Notes to Editors

Qatar Airways currently has orders worth over US$50 billion for more than 250 aircraft, including Boeing 787s, 777s, Airbus A350s, A380s and A320 Family of aircraft. In addition to winning Skytrax’s prestigious Airline of the Year 2011 and 2012, Qatar Airways was named Best Airline in the Middle East for the seventh year in a row, and its Premium Terminal at Doha International Airport was named Best Premium Service Airport for the second consecutive year in 2012. Skytrax is the only global independent passenger survey monitoring airline standards and is considered the ultimate benchmark for excellence in the airline industry. In October 2012, Qatar Airways became the first of the major Gulf carriers set to officially join a global alliance having been invited into the oneworld group. For more information, visit www.qatarairways.com

For further information

Qatar Airways Group, Corporate Communications Department
Tel: +974 44302072, Fax: +974 44302069
E-mail: qrmedia@qatarairways.com.qa
Website: www.qatarairways.com

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World Champion Ramy Ashour from Egypt wins this year’s squash tournament in Doha

World Champion Ramy Ashour from Egypt wins this year’s squash tournament in Doha