DOHA: Qatar is all set to mark today its biggest National Sport Day (NSD) celebration yet with the participation of 208 government institutions and private companies.
Celebrated on second Tuesday of February every year, the occasion is aimed at raising awareness in society about sport being vital to healthy living as well as a source of promoting love and peace among different communities.
Speaking on the eve of the National Sport Day, Minister of Public Health H E Abdullah bin Khalid Al Qahtani said: “The National Sport Day has an important role in promoting healthy lifestyle among citizens and expatriates and creating a sport culture in the community. Participation in the Sport Day activities by different entities and the public has been increasing every year,”
Findings of an online survey conducted by the Ministry of Development Planning and Statistics ahead of the Sport Day have shown an increasing health awareness among the public, with 71 percent of the respondents (citizens and expatriates) claiming that they practice some kind of sports.
The survey was conducted in collaboration with the Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) through the website of the Ministry and QOC.
Of the 1749 respondents to the survey, 35 percent (620) were Qataris and 65 percent (1,129) expatriates. Twenty nine percent said they don’t practice sports. The ratio of citizens and expatriates practising sports was equal, the Ministry said yesterday.
Of the respondents, 1,000 were male and 749 females. As shown by previous surveys, a major factor hindering people from practising sports was lack of free time, with 43 percent citing this as the reason. Eighteen percent cited the absence of sports facilities in their area while six percent cited health related reasons.
The Ministry however, cautioned against taking this survey as representative of the Qatari public opinion saying the participation was voluntary.
The fourth NSD will see ministries, authorities, sport federations and other institutions as well as private companies hold various sport activities spread in different venues in the country.
Souq Waqif for the third consecutive year has banned Sheesha at all its restaurants and cafeterias on the Sport Day.
The NSD activities will take place at the Corniche, Aspire Zone, Qatar Foundation, The Pearl Qatar, Katara, Museum of Islamic Art Park, sport clubs, youth centres, public parks and other sport facilities.
An important part of the NSD programme is 12 awareness lectures which will take place in Aspire, Katara, the Qatar Women’s Sport Committee and Al Wakrah and Al Khor sport clubs.
The Qatar Olympic Committee Sport Village located next to the main post office will allow visitors to learn basic skills in sports including handball, basketball, shooting, table-tennis and football as well as healthy eating and general wellness.
Another major venue is Katara which will host over 100 sports activities under the theme ‘Live Sports.’ The programmes catered to different segments of society comprising of sports activities and competitions with the participation of 48 entities. Twenty-four major organisations and companies will mark NSD in Aspire Zone’s 2.5sq km facilities with 30 activities. A fun run, family cycling, beach soccer and syncronised swimming are among the highlights of today’s occasion.
Qatar Foundation (QF) will celebrate the day with a special walkathon through Education City under the theme ‘Unlock Your Inner Athlete,” in which each stage of the walk will include educational activities to inspire men, women and children to lead healthier and more active lifestyles. A total of 40 activities have been lined up to the participants.
NSD events and activities will also be held in Al Rayyan, Mesaimeer, Al Markhiya, Al Gharrafa, Salwa Road, Al Khor, Al Wakrah, Umm Salal and Al Shahaniya.
This year’s Sport Day coincides with a reported statement by Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Secretary General and CEO of the Qatar Olympic Committee that Qatar “will not stop” bidding for major international sporting events after the 2022 World Cup and a potential Olympics.
“After the World Cup and after the potential Olympics we will not stop, we are continuing because we already have the infrastructure and we have facilities,” Sheikh Saoud was quoted as saying by AFP yesterday.
The Peninsula
