World Cup excitement inspires kids in Qatar to confront obesity

Seven-year-old Alain trains with two dozen other children in Doha, the World Cup’s host city, striving to lose weight in pursuit of his dream: becoming a professional footballer.

Dribbling around cones on a hot and sticky evening, he is taking part in a broad campaign to encourage health and fitness in the Gulf, home to alarming levels of obesity.

“I’m here to lose weight and become a footballer … because this sport…