Doha: State institutions participated in the 12th edition of the National Sport Day (NSD) activities held under the slogan "The Choice is Yours".
The NSD, which is held annually on Tuesdays of the second week of February, in response to Amiri Decision No. 80 of 2011, sees ministries and other government agencies, public bodies and institutions organizing sporting events in which workers and their families participate, to achieve awareness of the importance of sport and its role in the lives of individuals and societies, and to make it a lifestyle that is practiced throughout the year, as sport contributes to the development of life skills with its cultural and social dimensions.
Among the most prominent bodies that participated on Tuesday in these events are the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Social Development and Family, and the National Service Academy, with joint activities organized at the headquarters of the National Service Academy (Miqdam Camp), in the presence of the Minister of Justice HE Masoud bin Mohammed Al Ameri, and the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces HE Staff Lieutenant General (Pilot) Salem bin Hamad bin Aqeel Al Nabit amid the wide participation of employees of the participating authorities and their affiliated centers.
The Minister of Justice said that this year's NSD carries deep meanings and connotations that reflect the wise forward-looking vision of HH the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, when His Highness issued Amiri Decision No. 80 of 2011, to make Tuesdays of the second week of February of each year a sport day for the state, explaining that participation in the NSD comes after the country's historic and exceptional hosting of the first-ever World Cup in the region and the Arab world, which embodies the ambitious goals of the Amiri decision to organize the country's NSD.
The participating bodies held joint sports activities, especially establishing a healthy weight-measuring corner, and providing health and nutritional advice to the participants provided by specialists in the field of nutritional health, in addition to organizing large-scale sports competitions, which included walking, football games, tug-of-war, table tennis, and athletics that won the admiration of the audience.
The activities witnessed the embodiment of HH the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani's rational vision to build the country and the citizen, and implement national development plans on sound and balanced bases, as sport is one of the main pillars of Qatar National Vision 2030, which is a distinct and unique vision in its representations and reflections.
HH the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani's rational vision reflects the leadership's interest in building the Qatari citizens, taking care of their health and developing them intellectually, mentally and healthily, and establishing an integrated sports infrastructure to serve the community, and strengthening the country's position globally, which was crowned by the impressive success of the state's organization of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.
The joint activities of the Ministry of Social Development and Family, the Ministry of Justice, the National Service Academy and their affiliated centers were held at the headquarters of the National Service Academy for its integrated sports structure that targets all age groups of employees and their families, and various groups of society, including the elderly and people with special needs to embody the NSD's objectives.
The Minister of Education and Higher Education (MoPH) HE Buthaina bint Ali Al Jabr Al Nuaimi said that all kinds of sports have many benefits for every human, including physical, psychological, and mental health.
In a press statement, the minister noted that sport plays a vital role in developing students' characteristics and skills, such as perseverance, flexibility, and discipline, calling on student children to make sport an integral part of their daily lives for its positive impact on their health, life, and social skills in the short and long term.
MoPH organized several different sports activities in the Old Doha Port Park, with the participation of the minister, officials of the ministry, schools, students and their parents, the elderly, and persons with disabilities, from different ages and groups of Qatari society.
The Minister of Education and Higher Education honored the winners of various sports competitions and activities from students and schools of all educational levels, which were organized by the ministry for the NSD.
The Undersecretary of the Ministry of Education and Higher Education Dr. Ibrahim bin Saleh Al Nuaimi stressed the NSD importance in the life of society, calling for making sports activities of all kinds daily practices for their physical, mental, health, and psychological benefits, especially for student children.
In remarks to reporters on the occasion of the ministry's participation in the NSD activities, Al Nuaimi said that the ministry attaches great importance to sports activities as an important part of a student's life, adding that the education sector provides the students with science, information, and knowledge and also must provide them with sports activities because physical activity is vital for a healthy life.
The General Retirement and Social Insurance Authority (GRSIA), in cooperation with the United Development Company, participated in the 2023 NSD sporting events, which were held in the Pearl district, in an initiative targeting the GRSIA staff and their families, as well as the residents and visitors of Pearl island.
The events included a walking marathon, fitness exercises, and challenging games, in addition to some fun activities for children, and other activities aimed at promoting the healthy patterns of the participants, and urging them to adopt sound sports practices.
President of the General Retirement and Social Insurance Authority Turki bin Mohammed Al Khater said that sport is an essential pillar for positively developing the human being, adding that NSD is an opportunity to consolidate these cultures in society and develop an awareness of the concept of preventive health.
He called on everyone to make sport a way of life and not a passing annual event to build a society full of vitality and activity and consolidate a generation capable of continuing the path of success that the country is witnessing at all levels to serve its development strategies and visions for sustainable development.
