DOHA: A day-long training regimen would likely whip the overweight among Qataris who have enrolled for the second batch of the compulsory military service, into fighting shape.
The second batch for the mandatory national service for citizens consists of thousands of secondary school graduates and they reported to Al Shamal training camp on Sunday.
Trainers said they will be separating the cadets who are overweight and subject them to a tough fitness regimen so they get fit.
Training for all cadets will begin with the early morning prayers and physical exercise and will last until 9.45pm — almost 18 hours a day.
The national service this time is for four months and out of this, six weeks are going to be so rigorous that no leave or day off will be allowed.
Al Shamal camp which has been built for the purpose has facilities to accommodate 3,000 people.
Facilities include not only boarding and lodging but also for lectures and studies.
The camp, headquarters of the national service centre, has enough trainers. The centre is headed by Brigadier Mohamed Musfir Al Ayadi and its Commander is Brigadier Mohamed Hameed Al Shahwani.
“We have double the number of cadets this time than we had in the first batch,” Brigadier Al Ayadi told reporters on Sunday, local Arabic dailies report. “This shows how successful the national service is.”
Officials said the syllabus for the current batch has been expanded and training and lectures on Civil Defence and first aid have been added.
“The idea of the national service is to give the cadets a taste of military life.”
The daily training regimen is tough. It begins before dawn. After prayers the cadets must do physical exercise.
And after breakfast they must parade.
They will then be taught to handle weapons. After lunch break lectures on Civil Defence and first aid and internal security service will begin.
The routine continues until 9.45pm and then the cadets call it a day only to wake up a few hours later to begin another day, said officials.
According to them, the experience of the first batch was rich. “There was nothing negative about it,” said Al Ayadi.
Once cadets successfully complete the national service they would be able to join the military service in emergency, said Al Ayadi.
“That’s the main aim of the mandatory national service for citizens.”
THE PENINSULA
