UDC Chairman Turki bin Mohammed Al Khater (centre); UDC President & CEO Ibrahim Jassim Al Othman; Dr Saad bin Ahmad Al Muhannadi, President of Ashghal, and others at the National Sport Day events held at the The Pearl-Qatar yesterday. Pics: Baher Amin/Th
DOHA: United Development Company (UDC), one of the leading Qatari public shareholding companies and the master developer of The Pearl-Qatar and Gewan Islands, celebrated the National Sport Day, yesterday, in cooperation with General Retirement and Social Insurance Authority ‘GRSIA’ and Public Works Authority (Ashghal).
Events took place simultaneously in Costa Malaz and Porto Arabia districts, where employees, residents and visitors of all ages took part in a variety of sports, entertaining and challenging activities.
The activities included football tournaments, walkathon, gym area, obstacle games, wall climbing, foosball tables, ping-pong, quiz games that are related to health and sport and other sports related activities.
President of the General Retirement & Social Insurance Authority and UDC Chairman, Turki bin Mohammed Al Khater, urged participants to embrace sports as a lifestyle, noting that it will help protect them against chronic diseases and their dangerous complications.
Al Khater said: “National Sport Day promotes awareness of health and safety notions and instils a culture of ‘a healthy mind in a healthy body’ among community members. Thus, I invite all participants to engage in sporting activities as a daily routine rather than on certain occasions, in order to build a vibrant society in line with the State’s development policies and National Vision 2030”.
Highlighting the contribution of sports to public health, Al Khater called on employees to continue exercising, which will boost their energy and increase their productivity.
On this occasion, Dr Saad bin Ahmad Al Muhannadi, President of Ashghal, said: “Ashghals’ activities for the National Sport Day 2019 were in cooperation with the United Development Company and the General Retirement and Social Insurance Authority, where the event included a full day of various sport activities in Costa Malaz and Porto Arabia districts at The Pearl-Qatar.
Al Muhannadi added: “The authority is keen to organize many sporting events for its employees throughout the year, whether on the National Sport Day or during internal competitions held throughout the year or during the Holy Month of Ramadan. Ashghal also encourages its employees to exercise continuously at the authority gymnasium, where it includes all the sports equipment and specialized trainers”.
‘Temba Arena’ Football Court in Costa Malaz, was officially inaugurated yesterday by UDC President & CEO, Ibrahim Jassim Al Othman, along with senior officials and employees.
Al Othman said: “The opening of the latest football court at The Pearl-Qatar, “Temba Arena”, reflects our commitment to national and human development, by supporting and encouraging sports-related initiatives and activities that fall in line with UDC’s social responsibility efforts”.
Al Othman added that UDC’s support for sports-related activities will continue throughout the period leading to the upcoming FIFA World Cup, the world’s top sporting event that Qatar will host in 2022. Al Othman added: “UDC will continue to promote sports in line with the Qatar National Vision 2030, which places strong emphasis on the contribution of sports to human development and aims to cement the country’s position as a regional sporting hub”.
