SFS-Q students and faculty ready for the cardio exercise.
The Qatalum team gears up for National Sport Day celebrations.
DOHA: Qatar celebrates the second National Sport Day today at a grand scale to attract the local community and sporting individuals.
Main events for the day will begin at 8am at different locations such as the Chorniche, Aspire Zone, Katara, sports clubs and parks.
The day is being celebrated to stress the importance of sport as a significant factor in creating a healthy community physically and mentally.
“The Sport Day will help build a healthy community. The aim of the day is to promote sports as part of every one’s daily life: Sports shouldn’t be a one-day event, but practised everyday,” said H E Abdulla bin Khalid Al Qahtani, Minister of Health, in a statement issued by the Supreme Council of Health yesterday.
“The country has provided people with all necessary facilities to encourage to change the lifestyle of the community to improve their health,” he added.
All ministries, government departments and private institutions have lined up a series of public events and have encouraged their employees to engage enthusiastically in sport activities.
HMC
Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) staff will be participating in a variety of high-profile events across Doha to mark the Sport Day which will include a major event at Katara Cultural Village as part of its Kulluna campaign.
HMC will hold a Family Fun and Sport Day from 8am to 4pm at Katara, near Gate 21, as part of the campaign aimed to improve health and safety.
Meanwhile, at events at the Corniche, Aspire Zone and Al Refaa Road, HMC will deploy more than 40 nurses to check blood pressure and take weight measurements, Body Mass Index measurements and other health tests for participants.
At the Corniche, HMC will partner with the Qatar Development Bank to offer blood pressure and basic health check-ups as well as distribute information about healthy and active lifestyles.
QP, ExxonMobil and Nakilat
Qatar Petroleum (QP), ExxonMobil Qatar and Qatar Gas Transport Company Ltd (Nakilat) will jointly hold a wide range of activities to mark the National Sport Day.
Activities will be attended by H E Dr Mohammed bin Saleh Al Sada, Minister of Energy and Industry and Chairman and Managing Director of QP, Bart Cahir, President and General Manager of ExxonMobil Qatar, and Muhammad Ghannam, Managing Director of Nakilat.
Employees of the companies and their families will participate in fun-filled activities at QP’s Al Ghazal Club and the RAA Boat & Beach Club.
Planned sport competitions include tennis, basketball, snooker, billiards, table tennis, football, beach volleyball, ‘babyfoot’ or foosball, golf, and a walking marathon for men and women.
Georgetown SFS-Q
Georgetown’s Edmund A Walsh School of Foreign Service in Qatar (SFS-Q) will mark the day with an early hour devoted to the well-known cardio exercises: Walking and running. At a meeting at Museum of Islamic Art at 8am, students, faculty and staff will don Sport Day T-shirts to be distributed on site and will begin an hour-long walk or run along the bustling corniche waterfront.
The participants will have the option of joining three levels of intensity of the exercises. Personal trainer Becky Cooper will lead fitness veterans on an hour-long jog. Those wanting to participate in a less demanding intensity can join Mary Bryan, SFS-Q Health & Wellness Officer, for an invigorating power walk. And Jill McSorley, SFS-Q Auxiliary Services Manager, will provide newbies with exercises with the option of an excellent beginner’s approach to fitness with an easy stroll. Organisers have paid special care to ensure that everyone, including those with special needs, such as wheelchair accessibility, are welcome at the event.
Qatalum
Qatalum will join the day’s celebration as part of QP celebrations in Mesaieed.
Qatalum management has organised technical and administrative employees and all its divisions for their participation in this big event.
Khalid Laram, Deputy CEO,Qatalum, said: “The participation in such an event is a national obligation that develops citizens’ awareness of the importance of practising sport to fortify the mind and the body as well as to boost morale and relations among staff, reflecting Qatar’s efforts to organise and host the most important global sporting event that is the 2022 World Cup finals.”
Qatar Airways
Qatar Airways Group will celebrate the day with a fun-filled programme of sporting activities for employees and their families.
Following last year’s incredibly successful Sport Day, Qatar Airways has planned a wide range of activities at Al Jazeera Academy in Doha, featuring competitions in football, tennis, volleyball, cricket and basketball. Teams comprising employees from different departments across the company will showcase their talents, battling with each other during the action-packed day.
Other activities include play stations for children, face painting and henna art, an amusing clown performance for kids, zumba dance classes, a tug-of-war competition and races for children and mums.
Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker said the airline was proud to once again lend its full support to the government’s drive to promote a lifestyle of health and well-being among Qataris and expatriates and their families.
“Last year’s National Sport Day was celebrated with vigour and was a huge hit among our employees and families. More than 500 people participated, enjoying a great day out with colleagues and loved ones,” he said.
Ministry of Business and Trade
The Ministry of Business and Trade will hold a series of events at its premises today.
A shooting competition will be held for the second consecutive year in collaboration with Qatar Federation for Equestrian. Competitions will be in the categories of double trap, dirt, air pistol and air rifle.
In cooperation with Al Gharafa Sports Club, the ministry will participate in a football tournament with 40 players in different teams. There will be a competition to design Sport Day logo separately for boys and girls.
The Peninsula
