Qatar Foundation gears up for National Sport Day at education city

Qatar Foundation for Education, Science, and Community Development (QF) is set to celebrate National Sport Day on Tuesday, 10^th February with a special walkathon through Education City.

Under the theme of ‘Unlock Your Inner Athlete’, each stage of the walkathon will include educational activities to inspire men, women and children to lead healthier and more active lifestyles.

Since the launch of the first National Sport Day in 2012 by His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, QF has strived to host an exciting range of sports activities to celebrate the day. Specially designed to help shape a healthy, sports-loving society by equipping people with the necessary skills and inspiration to make positive, long-lasting lifestyle changes, QF is also supporting the Qatar National Vision 2030 (QNV2030).

The events have been hand-picked to help demonstrate how even the smallest of changes can make a positive, long-lasting impact on health and, by raising awareness of the importance of health and fitness, QF is demonstrating its on-going dedication to the community and creating a better future for all and utilizing all of its infrastructure and centers for the benefit of the community.

Engineer Saad Al Muhannadi, President of Qatar Foundation, said about the significance of the annual holiday: “National Sport Day is a tangible demonstration of Qatar’s visionary commitment to its people’s long-term health.”

“QF looks forward to the ‘Unlock Your Inner Athlete’ theme inspiring community members to get fit and to adopt healthy lifestyles for a number of reasons. Not only can it drastically improve the quality of life, but it can prevent illnesses. Over the last twenty years, Qatar Foundation has been working hard to advance these areas of healthcare through its centres of science and research that are dedicated to furthering the Qatar National Vision 2030.”

The walkathon will give members of the community the opportunity to explore Qatar Foundation, while learning more about health and sports activities. With the start line at AL SHAQAB, attendees will get the chance to observe and learn about its world-class horses and events, all of which are part of QF’s mission to enhance cultural life and preserve the country’s traditions.

The route will then guide the participants to a healthy living workshop to encourage all to make positive changes to their lifestyles and shed some light on the importance of sport and exercise in the lives of everyone as well as other stops designed to be informative and interactive. 

Participants will also be able to visit the West Green Spine along the walk, which is set to feature a range of sports tournaments. Two specially-designed competitions for people with special needs will also take place throughout the day, and will include interactive wheelchair basketball and special needs table tennis.

Finally, the walkathon will conclude at Awsaj Academy. The Academy will host a selection of ladies-only exercise classes which have been carefully tailored to meet the needs of Qatar's diverse and multi-cultural population. A selection of traditional games for children and running races will also take place at this location.     

Catering for people with different interests and hobbies, other activities during the day will include a variety of sports, and live demonstrations in taekwondo and gymnastics at the Recreation Centre, and a range of fun cricket activities at the cricket ground.

This year’s National Sport Day event has been devised and organised in collaboration with many QF directorates and centres to ensure that QF is making the most out of the facilities at Education City.

In the lead-up to the day, QFwill be runningan exciting social media competition on Instagram. The quiz will encourage people across the country to test their wellbeing knowledge, and it will also serve as an opportunity to educate followers on the different sports and healthcare opportunities available at QF. The winner will be announced on Tuesday morning.

Meanwhile, to commemorate National Sport Day, Qatar Foundation, in collaboration with the Ministry of Youth and Sports, produced a special song. A gift to the country, the aim is to encourage members of the community to exercise, as a healthy body is a healthy mind.

National Sport Day is part of a year-round programme that is designed to encourage the Qatar community to live active, healthy lifestyles. One of QF’s initiatives in this area is the Electric Bike (E-Bike) system. Launched at the end of last year, the bicycles encourage students and faculty to be more active by pedalling around campus instead of driving.

This year’s National Sport Day marks the fourth annual event. Last year’s, QF’s activities drew a crowd of nearly 14,000 people, and it was later honoured for hosting the ‘Best Sporting Event’ in the Middle East.

For additional information on the day’s activities, or to pre-register for any of the activities, please visit http://www.qf.org.qa/NSD.