Hany Ballan

Hany Taleb Ballan is Chief Executive Officer of the Qatar Stars League, Chairperson of the referees’ committees at the Qatar Football Association and the Asian Football Confederation, and Vice-Chairman of FIFA’s Referees Committee. He moved from refereeing into administration and development at local, continental and international levels.

He has become a leader and source of inspiration for young athletes and referees, as well as for children who followed his path, served Qatar through their own positions and sporting achievements, and carried the country’s name into international competition.

He grew up amid an exceptional series of sporting influences. His father, Talib Ballan—may God prolong his life—was among the Gulf and Asia’s leading footballers. His uncle, the late Khaled Ballan—may God have mercy on him—was known as “the Brown Jewel” and won the Best Player award at the first Gulf Cup. His grandfather had also played hockey from an early age.

Several experiences shaped his character. The first was leaving Qatar to study mechanical engineering in the United Kingdom, where seven years abroad taught him independence and maturity. Military service provided another decisive influence: the Armed Forces nominated and sponsored him throughout his studies. After graduation, he entered the military engineering corps and remained until retiring in 2017 with the rank of Brigadier General Engineer.

A third influence on his sporting direction was playing football. Although he did not reach first-team professional level, he represented the Ministry of Education’s junior side at secondary school. His father encouraged him to balance study with sport, supported his development and later advised him as he entered refereeing.

He entered refereeing through a training course and officiated in local English leagues while studying in the United Kingdom. After graduation, he continued in Doha and was nominated for international appointments in 1998. He retired from refereeing at the relatively young age of thirty-four in 2004 and moved into development as a member of the Qatar Football Association’s Referees Committee. He then sought work as an AFC instructor, progressing to certification and becoming one of Asia’s earliest lecturers at FIFA level. His committee responsibilities also advanced: from member to Vice-Chairman and ultimately Chairman of the AFC Referees Committee, and from member to Vice-Chairman of FIFA’s Referees Committee, alongside his work as Chairman of the Qatar Football Association’s Referees Committee.

The military refined his character and taught commitment, leadership, sound judgement, balance in decision-making and punctual completion of work. Those lessons influenced both his professional life and the way he raised his children to become active, successful members of society.

His children followed his path just as he had followed his father’s. Shaima and Reem chose chess, entered the international rankings and, in Reem’s case, qualified as an international referee. Abdullah and Youssef began in football, but Abdullah also turned unexpectedly to skydiving, in which he achieved major success and won a gold medal in Russia in 2020.

Professionalism became central to his career and reinforced his belief that football in Qatar required an integrated, coordinated management system. Working to continental, particularly Asian, standards, the organisation developed a professional football-management project for the country. The league rose to a leading position in Asia, while club licensing, professional practice, financial control and competition management advanced through successive reforms. He believes that challenges reveal the true capacity of people and institutions, and therefore continues to favour regular development, reassessment and personal learning.

Ballan follows the Prophetic principle that the people most beloved to God are those who benefit others. He applies it by offering practical help to those who need it and encouragement to anyone facing difficulty.

Despite numerous responsibilities and positions, he places family first. He is the father of three sons and three daughters, who found in him both example and inspiration. His eldest son, Abdullah, became a skydiver and won a world championship. Youssef serves in the Armed Forces and plays for Al-Markhiya Club. Mohammed studies information technology at university and plays for Lusail Club. His daughters found their passion in chess; Shaima and Reem are internationally ranked players and accredited referees with the International Chess Federation.

He distilled years of experience into his first book, “A Special Vision in Refereeing”, and a second, “A Special Vision of Professionalism”. He also established two websites, one devoted to refereeing and the other to professionalism, to share his knowledge and contribute to the development of both fields.