Generation Amazing Foundation (GA) – the human and social legacy initiative of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™️ – is sponsoring the participation of youth from Qatar, India and Pakistan to the upcoming Festival 24, an international solidarity youth festival held on the sidelines of the Paris 2024 Olympics and Paralympics.

Under the theme ‘United by Sport’, the Festival will take place in Lyon and Paris, France from July 19 to the 29^th, and will emphasise inclusivity, welcoming over 500 youth from all five continents, including 36 countries.  Organized by Sports dans la Ville, it will feature programmes and panels based around promoting social and professional integration through sport and will immerse attendees in enriching cultural experiences.

Nasser Al-Khori, Executive Director of GA: “Over the past 14 years, our mandate at Generation Amazing has been to implement education and capacity-building programs in disadvantaged communities worldwide. The FIFA World Cup 2022 significantly amplified our reach and impact, and we look forward to partnering with Sports dans la Ville as they similarly leverage the Olympics platform to provide a transformative learning experience to youth globally. We have seen how sport has this unique ability to break down barriers, foster peace and resilience, and bring people together.”

Paris 2024 is poised to make Olympic history by achieving gender parity on the playing field for the first time ever. Operating in alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly Gender Equality and Inclusion, Generation Amazing’s partnership with Festival 24 underscores their commitment to educating and empowering youth through the transformative power of sport and to building a more equitable and inclusive world.

As a leading sponsor of the programme – alongside the European Union, the French Ministry of Sports and the Olympic and Paralympic Games, and Visa, among others – GA has organised two delegations of youth from Right to Play in Pakistan and Slum Soccer in India along with young leaders from Qatar to participate in the Festival. They will attend creative workshops, cultural visits of Lyon and Paris, inclusive sporting events, panels and conferences on inclusivity through sports, and the Olympics opening ceremony.

Philippe Oddou, Managing Director of Sport dans la Ville: “A trip like this can change a life. Through the encounters and discoveries it entails, travel is an invaluable source of inspiration, ambitions and dreams. We believe in the unparalleled power of happy memories, which allow us to grow, to move forward, and to be inspired by the differences of others. We look forward to sharing this great moment of sport, celebration and solidarity with all the young people at our Festival 24, and with all those who helped make it happen.”

Students have been selected from within their communities for their merit, commitment and motivation. With their experience at Festival 24, they will become role models and #PassItOn to hundreds of young people, families and communities in their home countries. Each organisation will also continue this legacy by organising a sharing event in their communities, such as a photo exhibition or a presentation of their trip, to bring the experience and the Games to as many people as possible in the 36 countries represented.