England legend Sir Geoff turns ref for National Sport Day

After a whirlwind visit to Qatar last year during which he was given a brief glimpse of the country’s passion for sport, footballing legend Sir Geoff Hurst will return to Doha to experience the buzz around National Sport Day first-hand.

In 1966, Sir Geoff scored the first ever and the only hat-trick so far in a World Cup final as England won the title at Wembley.

This time though, he will lace up as a referee in a tournament for international property and construction consultancy Gleeds.

“The notion of a National Sport Day is such a brilliant one and I am thrilled to be back in Qatar to experience it for myself. The enthusiasm for the day has been overwhelming and it’ll be great fun to take on the role of referee – although I can’t promise my decisions will please everyone, I know how competitive these tournaments can become with pride at stake,” said Sir Geoff, who will arrive in Doha on February 10.

The British icon has made no secret of the fact that he believes the only way forward for one of the most popular events in the sporting calendar is to take it to as many different countries as possible and is happy to see it come to Qatar.