NSD: Thousands turn out at Aspire Park

DOHA: Thousands of sports enthusiasts and families from across Qatar yesterday turned out at the Aspire Park to take part in the country’s National Sport Day celebrations. The event marked the culmination of months of planning with a programme carefully designed to take full advantage of Aspire’s world-class venues and facilities and provide visitors with a unique and unforgettable experience.

A number of prominent officials and dignitaries attended the sporting events to show their support for the development of sports and healthy lifestyle in the country.

Dignitaries including H E Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, President of Qatar Olympic Committee; H E Salah bin Ghanem Al Ali, Minister of Culture and Sports; and Hassan Al Thawadi, Secretary-General of the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, joined senior figures from Aspire Zone Foundation including Eng. Hilal Al Kuwari, President of Aspire Zone Foundation (AZF), and Mohammad Khalifa Al Suwaidi, CEO of Aspire Zone Foundation.

Commenting on National Sport Day, Sheikh Joaan said: “We are proud that Qatar is one of the only countries in the world and the first in the Middle East to dedicate a public holiday to NSD. This year, the Qatar Olympic Committee has organised 72 sporting activities around Qatar for all ages and abilities as part of our vision and commitment to ensuring everyone has the opportunity to participate in sport. Once again, NSD has provided a unique platform to inspire and unite our nation through sport and share the Olympic spirit in one place.”

“This year we’ve been committed to putting excitement and enjoyment at the heart of all the sporting activities on offer. We are determined to see an increase in physical activity in our country, not simply on the basis of the number of people taking part, but because of the wider value it will have for our collective health, wellbeing and happiness, as individuals and as a society. It has also been wonderful to see so many Team Qatar athletes participating in our activities with the public today. Their achievements are an inspiration to our nation and they are excellent role models for our young people,” he added.

Talking to The Peninsula, Minister of  Culture and Sports H E Salah bin Ghanem Al Ali said: “I am extremely happy today to participate in Qatar’s National Sport Day. Qatar has set an example for all other countries. We have achieved the goal of spreading awareness about healthy lifestyle and practicing sports. There is a huge jump in creating awareness among people to adopt healthy lifestyle and participating in community sports. We are planning a lot of new events in coming days, we will have countless events this year. We hope the number of people increase with time in participating in sports activities.”

Meanwhile, Al Suwaidi said: “Our National Sport Day celebrations have been improving every year for the last seven years. The difference this year especially for us in AZF is that we have this iconic building behind you — Khalifa International Stadium, which launched just a few months ago. And this makes a difference. The range of activities and the opportunities we’re making available to the public is also growing.”

Commenting on his participation in NSD activities, Al Thawadi said: “This fantastic initiative was launched in 2011, since it’s in inception more sports activities and people participate in sports. This year I was pleasantly surprised by Kendo and they have launched the dodge ball initiative. Sports day is an opportunity for people to get introduced to new sports and more importantly also it reinforces and establishes the importance of sports within the community.”

Khalid Ali Al Mawlawi, Chief Administrative Officer of Aspetar, said: “The initiative has positively contributed towards achieving the Qatar National Vision 2030, which seeks to invest in the country’s well-being by promoting a healthy and active lifestyle. Our work at Aspire Zone Foundation helps feed into that vision. We do believe that we have the biggest platform in Qatar, where we can attract the widest range of people and encourage them to practice their chosen sport and promote a healthy lifestyle. 

The officials were also joined by employees from many of the country’s biggest and most important private and public sector entities who have come together to celebrate their day at Aspire Zone. 

The programme for 2018 included a number of brand new sporting events and activities in addition to the return of long-established favourites. Amongst the many highlights included the official launch of the Qatar Dodgeball Federation, marking the start of a partnership with Aspire Zone Foundation that is designed to grow the popularity of the sport in the country.  

Qatari nationals participated in a range of activities alongside expatriates. Activities organised by AZF demonstrate how sport can bring people together across all backgrounds, nationalities and ages and build bridges of understanding between cultures. 

AZF also teamed up with the Doha Kendo Club to bring back Japanese Kendo demonstrations for the second year running. Kendo (Way of the Sword) is one of the world’s oldest martial arts and originated in Japan.  

A variety of children and family-friendly activities also took place throughout the day. Various indoor activities took place at Aspire Dome, the world’s largest indoor multi-purpose arena, including ‘Challenge the Champion’ activity – comprising sprinting, hammer throwing, vertical jumps and simulated bike races at the Indoor Athletics Track. 
Football Performance and Science Activities experts set up football skills demonstrations at the Indoor Football Pitch. A series of entertaining multi-skill activities were organised for boys and girls as well as Teamwork Challenges’ that foster teamwork and cooperation. 

Around Aspire Park, health and wellness experts offered advice and recommendations on leading a healthy lifestyle at education stations staffed by experts from the Namat physical activity and health education programme.