DOHA: Qatar celebrated yesterday its third National Sport Day (NSD) in a grand scale with a great number of sporting events across the country.
Officials and the general public joined hands in a day filled with activities to promote sport culture and healthy lifestyle.
The Emir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani participated in activities of Qatar Shooting and Archery Federation at Losail Shooting Complex and Al Shaqab equestrian centre.
The Father Emir H H Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani took part in the celebrations by riding a purebred Arabian camel at Um Ethnaytein in the morning.
H H Sheikha Jawahir bint Hamad bin Suheim Al Thani, wife of the Emir, H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani participated yesterday in a number of sport events to mark the National Sport Day. She visited the Equestrian club headquarters, the Qatar Foundation for Orphans “Dreima’ and Shafallah Center for Children with special needs.
The Prime Minister and Interior Minister H E Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani participated in jogging and football games at Qatar Sports Club.
Ministers and officials were also seen at various venues around the country.
The Minister of Public Health H E Abdullah bin Khalid Al Qahtani said: “Today is a milestone for the people of Qatar. Healthy living for all is our aim and through one of the world’s most varied and exciting programmes of events we have given the people a most incredible opportunity to seize the day.
“It’s been great to see so many smiling faces taking part and we hope that this day acts as a kick-start to a new era of health in Qatar.”
Events started with a Sport Walk on the Corniche which attracted thousands of participants, including officials, youth centres, schools and private companies, among others.
“Sport should be the slogan of all and for all and has to be practised by everyone. Sport is one of the good habits people should acquire and recognise its importance,” the Minister of Culture, Arts and Heritage H E Dr Hamad bin Abdulaziz Al Kuwari told the media after the walk.
He urged people to practise sport regularly and follow healthy diet.
The Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) Sport Zone, the main hub of the celebrations, saw thousands of people participating in football, basketball, archery, shooting, table tennis, handball, equestrian and billiards games, among others.
There were also acrobatic shows to entertain the crowd, a Kids Zone where children engaged in physical activities and a Health Zone where people availed free check-ups.
At the QOC Sport Village, H E Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Secretary-General of Qatar Olympic Committee, said, “NSD gets better and better each year and 2014 has taken the event to a new level. The whole nation should be proud. The Sport Village has been a revelation this year and allowed us to see some exciting sparks of talent we can hopefully nurture into the next generation of Qatari athletes.”
QOC Director of Sports Affairs Committee, Khalil Al Jaber, expressed satisfaction with the turnout at the Sport Zone since it opened on Thursday.
“I am satisfied with the number of people this morning and can see from the daily attendance that the number of visitors is bigger than last year. I am also happy to see many people coming from neighbouring GCC countries,” Al Jaber told The Peninsula.
To boost participation, the duration of the celebrations was extended to a week and the number of activities increased and spread all over the country.
“This year, we increased sport activities, especially those for the young generation. The aim of this day is to encourage people to participate in sport, increase the number of people who play sport and educate them to promote sport culture. I hope today will be the start of their life in sport.”
He praised efforts of sport federations opening their facilities to the public and the participation of clubs outside Doha, including Wakrah, Al Khor, Al Rayyan, Mesaieed and Dukhan to maximise public participation and encourage them to use sport as a tool for a better life.
One of the crowd-drawers at the QOC Health Zone was the registration area for the second edition of the Be Fit competition, a year-long weight loss contest by QOC and VLCC.
“This year, we are expecting more than 1,000 people, because after the first edition people are now more aware of the competition, which is about promoting health awareness and wellness,” said Amanda Yaacoub, Area Technical Head-Slimming, VLCC.
She said the contest is open for those with BMI above 30.
VLCC and QOC will regularly follow progress of the contestants making sure they lose weight naturally and not resort to pills or surgery. Winners, who will receive big cash prizes, will be revealed on the nest NSD.
At Katara, people took part in 83 fun and engaging sport and health awareness events around the Cultural Village organised in cooperation with government and private institutions.
The Peninsula
