Many fans have fond memories of the family of five desert rodents who were introduced as the official mascots of the Asian Cup Qatar back in 2011. Saboog, Tmbki, Freha, Zkriti, and Traeneh will once again grace the tournament with their presence, having made their debut twelve years ago when Qatar hosted the AFC Asian Cup. The well-known characters were recently presented as the mascots for the Asian Cup Qatar 2023 at a special ceremony held in Doha.
Hassan Al Kuwari, the Executive Director of Marketing and Communications for the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023 Local Organizing Committee (LOC), believes that the reintroduction of mascots in this year's tournament is a testament to Qatar's longstanding history of hosting mega sporting events with excellence.
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"The mascots of the 2023 Asian Cup invoke wonderful memories from 2011, but also embody the excitement and energy of what will certainly be an amazing competition," said Al Kuwari. "The five characters are inspired by Qatar's natural environment and present us with yet another wonderful opportunity to showcase our culture and heritage to football fans from around the world."
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Qatari artist, Ahmed Al Maadheed, is the mastermind behind these characters. "From the very beginning, we wanted to do something that inspired families and young people to be a part of the Asian Cup, said Al Maadheed. "We wanted to do dig deep into our rich ecological heritage and find an animal that could represent the best of what happens on the pitch and also in our daily lives, and that was the jerboa."
Al Maadheed added: "We decided to present a family of jerboas, each with its own distinctive personality, as a way of acknowledging the importance of teamwork in football, but also acknowledging the importance of family life to societies in Qatar."
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