The Minister of Culture, Arts and Heritage H E Dr Hamad bin Abdulaziz Al Kuwari (forefront) joins hundreds to pedal stationary cycles to generate power to light up the Torch Hotel. Shaival Dalal
Doha: Aspire Zone Foundation’s (AZF) National Sport Day celebrations started in style last night when top Qatari athletes and senior officials used the power of cycling to light up the Torch Hotel.
Hundreds joined forces to pedal 50 stationary cycles for over half-an-hour — generating enough electricity to bring the torch to life.
The ‘Torch-lighting’ served as the opening event for AZF’s celebrations today and aimed at demonstrating the power of sport to energise individuals.
The Minister of Culture, Arts and Heritage H E Dr Hamad bin Abdulaziz Al Kuwari and Issa Hilal Al Kuwari, President of Qatar Electricity & Water Corporation (Kahramaa) representing the Ministry of Energy and Industry led the participants.
The CEO of AZF, Khalid Abdullah Al Sulaiteen, also participated alongside other officials and athletes from Qatar Stars League, including senior members of the national football team.
Praising the event, Dr Al Kuwari said, “Starting National Sports Day celebrations with the lighting of the Torch Hotel was a very creative and unique idea. “I believe it sends the public a message that the real value of sport lies in its ability to lighten up many things in the lives of people – not just the Torch Hotel.
“I expect tomorrow (today) a huge turnout and large crowds of sports fans and all venues, pitches and facilities in Aspire will be a huge torch of activity.
The event was a simple and visual demonstration of how Qatar’s leadership is powering and encouraging healthy lifestyle changes in the community.
Officials put on a united display to show how exertion of personal energy through the simple activity of cycling can electrify and inspire everyone to engage in sports.
During the event, the Chief Executive Officer of AZF, Khalid Al Sulaiteen, praised the leadership for its visionary idea to dedicate a national holiday to sport for the benefit of the community.
“For the leadership to decree a public holiday dedicated to sports is testament to the nation’s visionary goals as NSD is a unique and unprecedented idea, making us one of the countries in the world to do it.
“For Aspire Zone to inaugurate NSD with the lighting up of the torch is not merely symbolic but uniquely creative in that it conveys a message to the local community about how engaging in sports can light up everyone’s lives and not just the Torch Hotel.”
Recent figures showing that more and more Qataris are beginning to take up cycling as a sport, the event was also a celebration of its growing popularity.
Dr Mohamed Ghaith Al Kuwari, Head of the National Sports Day organising committee at AZF, said, “Cycling is one of the most important sports for physical health and at AZF we are seeking to promote it through new activities and events such as the lighting up of the Torch Hotel as we look at integrating cycling as an integral element of Qatari culture.”
Aspire’s theme for this year’s NSD extravaganza is ‘Family into Sports’ and will bring the whole family together through 14 fun, action-packed activities across the zone.
In the spirit of healthy living and committing to positive lifestyle changes, families can come together in a Family Boot Camp fitness session consisting of a series of structured exercises.
For the more competitive family members, Aspire Logistics has organized a fun run that will begin at 9am.
Mothers and daughters as well as fathers and sons can also pit their fitness levels against each other through taster sessions, including gymnastics, racket sports and aerobic sessions.
Aspetar’s Healthy Living Department will also host a 5,000 Step Journey, inviting families to experience its ‘Step into Health’ programme through a family-orientated circuit that includes 12 interactive stations to educate children and parents on healthy eating.
As part of continued efforts to unite the whole community on NSD, Aspire is also hosting more than 20 private and government organisations, including Ras Gas, Qatar Shell, the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy and Qatar Football Association, which will also hold sporting activities.
For those who prefer to see rather than participate, Aspire is running two competitions with gift vouchers and an iPhone 5s, iPod and iPad.
For more information on how to win search #QNSD_Aspire on social media or follow @Aspirezone on twitter or @AspirezoneQA on Instagram.
Last year, Aspire’s NSD celebrations saw a footfall of more than 25,000 residents and this year, Aspire’s third annual NSD spectacular promises to dazzle the crowds more as AZF continues to lead the way towards healthy living in the community.
The Peninsula
