Mohamed Al Suwaidi, CEO, Aspire Zone Foundation, and Ivan Bravo, Director General of Aspire Academy, addressing the media at the Torch Hotel yesterday. Pic: Qassim Rahmatullah / The Peninsula
Aspire Zone Foundation (AFZ) yesterday announced the first international kite festival which will begin at Aspire Park tomorrow.
The five-day Festival will feature 50 international kite flyers from 13 countries across the globe in what promises to be a colourful and beautiful showcase.
International Kite Festival which will celebrate the art of kite flying through a unique combination of sporting competitions and fun community engagement events. This festival is organized by AFZ, and sponsored by Katara Cultural Village, Qatar Airways, Ooredoo, Nikon and Kiddy Zone.
Teams from Australia, Canada, Colombia, France, Indonesia, Italy, Kuwait, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, UK, U.S. and Vietnam will travel to Qatar for this momentous occasion. The festival will pay homage to the art of kite flying, offering spectators a chance to witness some of the best international kite flyers in action, and the opportunity to practice their own skills through a series of creative and skills-based workshops.
The festival will organize different activities which include F1 Simulators, Wind Booth, Arts and Crafts Corner and Stilt-walkers. Workshops include How to build a kite, How to fly a kite, Kite Decorating, Kite Aerodynamics and Kite Flying Tips and Tricks.
The Festival organisers have designed a friendly inter-school competition, ‘Best School Kite Flight’ which is open to all Qatari public and private schools. Ten students in one team (from Grade 1 to Grade 6). Teams must create and decorate their kites with specific criteria; with a minimum size of 3m width x 5m length with any type of materials.
The team of 10 will vie for a range of cash prizes, QR30,000 for First place, QR20,000 for Second place and QR10,000 for Third place.
There are also creative competitions that will encourage visitors to capture the spirit of the Festival in a photo contest, Capture images of the festival using #Aspirekitephoto and upload on Instagram for a chance to win amazing prizes including two Business Class round-trips tickets for First place, two Economy tickets to any destination on Qatar Airways for second place and Nikon cameras for third and fourth place.
A poster competition for children will also seek out the best illustration of a kite in the skies above Aspire Park posted to @aspirezone on Instagram for a chance to win giveaways from Kiddy Zone.
Mohamed Al Suwaidi, CEO at AFZ, told The Peninsula during the press conference held at The Torch Hotel (Madar Meeting Room) yesterday: “Safety precautions are our first priority at every event we host. The kites will fly between 40 and 160 meters maximum, the ground is situated in the heart of Aspire Park with metallic barrier around it. Keeping in mind the safety precautions we have chosen the place where there will be no neighborhood and far from street.”
“We are extremely excited to host this unique event in Qatar, a first for Aspire Zone Foundation. Hosting an event of this nature is further evidence of Aspire Zone Foundation’s commitment to deliver a wide range of activities, offering something for everyone and encouraging community participation. It also highlights Qatar’s growing profile as a destination of choice for tourists and visitors,” he added.
Kholoud Al Hail, CEO of Aspire Katara Hospitality and Head of the Event’s Organising Committee, said: “The aim of the event is to put Qatar on International map, we want people to travel to Doha. Next year we are planning to do the event before the summer arrives with more countries participating. The photography competition is based on likes the picture receives on Instagram and the school competition is open for all schools including Independent Schools, Private Schools and International Schools.”
Ivan Bravo, Director General of Aspire Academy, said: “Kite flying is enormously popular around the world. So we're delighted to bring this unique competition and event to Aspire Park this week. We hope to see families and children of all ages from across Qatar, enjoy the rich and varied program we've developed, and try as many of the fantastic activities on offer as possible.”
