Doha: Qatar will send 40 athletes to the biggest sports extravaganza of the world, the Rio Olympic Games.

With just 17 days to go until the Games, the Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) announced that three of Qatar";s leading companies have signed up as National Partners.

Ooredoo, Qatar Airways and Qatar Insurance Group are uniting in support of the 40 athletes across ten sports that will represent Team Qatar in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

The Olympic Games will take place from 5th-21st August and Qatar will be sending the biggest athlete delegation in its history, with world champions and reigning Olympic medallists aiming to make the nation proud.

The National Partners"; are also supporting Bayt Qatar, the QOC";s Olympic hospitality house in Rio de Janeiro that will aim to share Qatar";s culture, heritage and passion for sport with the people of Rio de Janeiro and the world.

Joining them will be the QOC";s Media Partner, Al Kass, who will provide broadcast services, and Official Supplier, Qatar Airways Holidays, who will provide discounts on travel packages, and Al Siddiqi, who are providing Team Qatar";s uniforms.

Speaking about the QOC";s new partners, Dr Thani Abdulrahman Al Kuwari, Secretary General of the QOC, said: 'It is a very exciting time for Olympic sport in Qatar and we are thrilled to partner with such iconic Qatari organisations ahead of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. Our Team Qatar athletes have been working incredibly hard to ensure they are in the best shape of their lives and this support will give them a timely boost in the final stages of their training. We hope that the whole nation will join our partners in getting behind our athletes and celebrate their incredible achievements in the true spirit of Olympism. We cannot wait for the Games to begin.”

Ooredoo";s partnership with the QOC will enable Team Qatar to stay connected to their families, friends and fans throughout the Olympic Games, with Ooredoo giving the full delegation their own Ooredoo Passports, which offer roaming call minutes and data. They will also provide telecom and broadband solutions in Bayt Qatar, using smart services to bring people closer to the action.

Speaking about their partnership with the QOC, Waleed Mohammed Ebrahim Al Sayed, Chief Executive Officer, Ooredoo Qatar, said: 'Ooredoo is proud to be a National Partner of the Qatar Olympic Committee, and we are confident that Team Qatar will inspire our nation at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.”

Qatar Airways will become the official Airline Partner for Team Qatar, transporting the athletes and their delegations as they travel to Rio and around the world to represent their country. The 2015 Skytrax Airline of the year will also provide crucial communications support through its digital channels and at Hamad International Airport to help encourage the whole nation to get behind Team Qatar as they compete in the most important competition of their lives.

This will provide a particular boost to the QOC";s #YallaQatarcampaign, which aims to showcase Qatar";s Olympic athletes, their journeys and their incredible feats.

Akbar Al Baker, Group Chief Executive of Qatar Airways commented: 'Qatar Airways is proud to become the official Airline Partner for Team Qatar and ensure that our biggest-ever athlete delegation arrives at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games refreshed and ready to compete. Our partnership with the Qatar Olympic Committee is an obvious choice because our values match the Olympic values of friendship, excellence and respect.”

Founded in 1964, Qatar Insurance is the largest national insurance company in the Middle East. For more than 50 years, the company has successfully transitioned from being a domestic insurer in Qatar to a group of companies with an international reach. As well as providing travel insurance for Team Qatar, QIC Group will support the QOC in its mission to create more Olympic heroes and raise awareness of and participation in Olympic sport.

Speaking about the new partnership with the QOC, Khalifa Abdulla Turki Al-Subaey, Group President and CEO of QIC Group said: 'QIC Group is fully focussed on being ranked amongst the top fifty insurers in the world. Partnering with the QOC as its National Partner is a step towards realising our mission and representing Qataras a hubthat demonstrates the spirit of true sportsmanship and goodwill on a global stage. We aim to utilise this important partnership to make positive contributions that will not only benefit Qatar and therest of the world but willalso help tocreate a legacy for our future generations.”

During the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, Bayt Qatar will bring the soul of Qatar to the heart of Rio. An iconic heritage site and former museum, Casa Daros, will provide a stunning setting to bridge sport, education, culture and diversity in a true celebration of Olympism.

In order to give visitors the best possible experience, the QOC has signed MOUs with several Qatari organisations. These include: Education Above All, who will organise a Garangao night for children from local Brazilian Favelas; the ICSS who will organise a special event for their Save the Dream charity; and Qatar Foundation, Al Shaqab, Qatar Museums, Katara, Doha Film Institute, Aspire, Aspetar, We Are Doha, the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy and the ADLQ, who will all contribute films, photos and content to help showcase the very best of Qatar.

Bayt Qatar will be open from August 4 to 21 and the QOC has just launched the official website www.baytqatar.qa for the public to find out more and keep up to date with news, events and activities.

The Peninsula