Doha: Teams of staff and volunteers at Aspire Zone Foundation (AZF) will put the finishing touches this week to preparations for the fifth edition of the National Sports Day (NSD) which will be held on February 09. Thousands of people from the local community are expected to visit Aspire Zone to celebrate the day and make the most of its world-class facilities and venues.
Commenting on the preparations, AZF Director of Marketing and member of the NSD Organising Committee, Nasser Abdullah Al Hajri said: “AZF has made a major contribution to the success of National Sports Day these past few years through organising innovative and creative programmes of activity. The Foundation’s world-class venues and facilities have made it a natural choice for people looking to celebrate this significant occasion and helped to increase participation and involvement in the day more broadly.”
“During each of the last four editions of NSD, AZF has introduced a hugely diverse range of activities designed to make the most of the advanced facilities on offer. These take place all across Aspire Park, which covers more than 2km of green fields, lakes and sports venues. AZF has also provided companies and organisations with the opportunity to hold their own activities in its precinct, enabling many of the country’s most important organisations to celebrate this special day and involve the widest number of participants possible,” he added.
AZF and its member organisations Aspire Academy, Aspetar and Aspire Logistics have been busily preparing these past few weeks to ensure a mix of activities that both exceed the public’s expectations and which reflect the importance of the largest sports festival in the country. In particular, the Foundation has focused on ensuring a programme that is suitable for people of all ages and levels of fitness to appeal to all members of the community.
The Foundation’s NSD programme focuses on promoting physical activity, lifestyle and behaviour choices, as well as strengthening participants’ awareness of the importance of sport and its role in supporting the health and wellbeing of individuals and communities. This focus aligns with AZF’s objective of promoting healthy lifestyles in support of the Qatar National Vision 2030.
AZF will organise a number of football competitions during NSD, including the Aspire Academy Football League for players born between 2004 – 2005. Around 220 players from Qatar Football Federation clubs are expected to participate in this league. Young visitors to Aspire will also be able to take part in a number of exciting football matches on Aspire Zone’s outdoor football pitches. Another exciting event taking place this year is the beach soccer competition, which will see eight teams take part. A number of 3 on 3 basketball competitions will also be organised in partnership with the Qatar Basketball Federation.
Meanwhile, the visitors at the Aspire Dome will have the opportunity to take part in a number of fitness activities including sprinting, throwing, vertical jumping, 200m bike racing and more. The Aspire Academy Football Performance and Science Department is also organising a number of activities. One of the highlights in this year’s programme of activities is the 5,000-steps journey, which will start at 9AM in Aspire Park next to the Burgeri restaurant. Visitors to Aspire can also enjoy wall climbing which takes place at a station behind the Grand Heritage Hotel under the supervision of specialised trainers. Aspire Zone will also host the Fun Run, which is open to all members of the community whatever their age is. Families visiting Aspire Zone on National Sports Day will also be able to partake in the Family Bike Ride in Aspire Park. And for children, one of the more unusual activities available is Judo instruction, which takes place under the careful supervision of expert trainers.
More details are available on Aspire website - www.lifeinaspire.qa or any of the Aspire Zone Foundation’s various social media channels.
The Peninsula
