Activities to mark Qatar's National Sports Day in its fourth edition kicked off on Tuesday morning at a grand scale, in response to the Emiri decree which stated that Tuesday in the second week of February each year will be the State's National Sports Day, in an unprecedented and unique initiative that aims to raise awareness of the importance of sport and its role in the life of communities.
The activities began with a march for Qatar Olympic Committee on the Doha Corniche, attended by dignitaries and representatives of ministries and public and private institutions, as well as many of the athletes and all segments of the society of citizens and residents. The march started from the Doha Sheraton Hotel and ended at the Athletes' Village.
Qatar Olympic Committee made great preparations to turn the country into a stadium to accommodate all citizens and residents of various age categories. All sports facilities across the country are opened for the masses who gathered since early morning in the various facilities to exercise sport.
Meanwhile, All government and private institutions have organized sports events to celebrate the National Sports Day through processing zones for different games and sport exercises, in addition to sports information centers and restaurants to the public.
Earlier, the joint committee to oversee the National Sports Day announced the locations of the activities hosted by the ministries and government institutions participating in the events. The committee, in coordination with all relevant parties, determined the places for organizing the activities and distributed them to cover all parts of the country, in order to ensure the proper functioning and to avoid traffic congestion.
The Committee has called on all government ministries and agencies, and all public institutions and agencies operating in the country, including the private sector, to adhere to the standards and conditions specified by the Committee, in order to ensure the achievement of the objectives of the National Sports Day, especially the awareness of the importance of exercise among the different age categories.
The Committee urged to focus on activities that raise awareness of the importance of practicing sports as a daily health behavior, and promote awareness among the participants of the importance of sport and its role in the lives of individuals and communities. The Committee also stated that sports activities should suit the ages and health conditions for the participants, and urged to focus on physical activities and to avoid all performing appearances and to provide healthy food.
Some 208 of the various state institutions are involved in a variety of sports activities in various areas. The activities include 12 awareness lecture in Aspire, Katara, Al Wakra Club, Al Khor, and the Women's Sport Committee.
The events sites include ministries and government bodies, the Corniche, Aspire Zone, Qatar Foundation, The Pearl, Katara, MIA Park, all sporting clubs, youth centers, facilities, installations and public parks.
Qatar Olympic Committee hosted several activities and competitions to celebrate the National Sports Day including water sports like sailing, rowing, canoeing and kayaking on the Corniche overseen by Qatar Sailing and Rowing Federation.
The Committee also organized the "Be Fit" competition which aims to reach the highest levels of fitness and health, as the competition aims to spread awareness among the masses about the risk of obesity.
HE the Secretary-General of Qatar Olympic Committee Sheikh Saud bin Abdurrahman Al-Thani praised the initiative of HH the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, and underlined that the National Sports Day is in line with the vision of Qatar 2030.
He expressed pleasure for the unprecedented turnout of citizens and residents, and their eagerness to celebrate the Sports Day.
HE Sheikh Saud stressed the Committee's keenness to spread the culture of sports among all Qatari citizens and to reinforce the concept of exercise regularly.
Bahrain Olympic Committee Secretary General Abdulrahman Sadeq Askar and Oman Olympic Committee Secretary General Taha Al Kishry, in Doha to participate in the 82nd GCC Olympic committees executive bureau meeting on Wednesday, visited the Athletes Village to participate in the Sports Day, praising the organization and the large attendance.
Dahlan Al Hamad, president of the Asian Athletics Association (AAA) and Qatar Athletics Federation, reiterated Qatar's constant keenness on promoting sports, expressing his gratitude to HH the Emir for the generous initiative of dedicating a special day for sports and considering it a paid vacation.
Speaking to QNA, Al Hamad said the Sports Day is a great opportunity for exercising and making sports a lifestyle thanks to its benefits for health, mind and thought, adding that Qatar's Sports Day initiative will be a model for other world countries.
Qatar Tennis Federation President Nasser Ghanim Al Khelaifi said dedicating a special day for sports comes within the sports development strategy and, thus, is a vision for the future not just an event.
Al Khelaifi thanked HH the Emir for the unique idea, expressing hope it will spread around the world as it serves the society and changes it in a positive way.
Source: QNA