Qatar all set to celebrate National Sport Day

The activities of 11th National Sport Day, under the slogan ‘Sports is Life’, will be held on Tuesday, with the participation of all groups of Qatari society of all ages believing in the importance of sports in human life and making it a lifestyle practiced throughout the year.
The National Sport Day is marked in implementation of Amiri Decision No 80 of 2011, which stipulates that the second Tuesday of February of each year shall be a National Sports Day and it’s declared an official holiday. The first National Sport Day was held in 2012.
This year’s Sport Day has an exceptional feature as the country completes its preparations for the largest football sporting event in the world, the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. The infrastructure established by the state and the facilities of the World Cup has made Qatar a large stadium that welcomes everyone of all generations and ages.
Many areas of the country will turn into green squares and open playgrounds to all on Tuesday. Tens of thousands of citizens and residents of all segments of society and all ages will participate in it to practice many types of sports since the early morning and they enjoy the mild weather and the perfect climatic atmosphere at this time of the year.
Despite the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, Qatar has maintained this unique annual tradition, believing in the necessity of spreading and consolidating the community sports culture, and preparing the community for the success of major events.
All events this year will be held outdoors, with the participation of 15 people who completed the vaccination doses, in group activities, and five individuals who did not complete the vaccination doses, such as children aged 12 for individual games. However, they must show that they are free of Coronavirus, and show the “Ehteraz” application status as green, in addition to adhering to the precautionary requirements and procedures, to achieve the primary goal of holding the Sports Day.
The organisers are free to choose the venues for the events because it was held this year in the open air, such as Aspire, Katara, Msheireb, Al Rayyan Gardens and Al Bidaa, in addition to all walking and running tracks and sports fields, to take advantage of the sports facilities.
During the women’s sports day, Lusail gymnasium was dedicated to practicing gymnastics, fitness, and others in complete privacy. These events are held under the title “Discover your sport.”
Qatar is considered a pioneer in organising the Sports Day in the region and the world. This day reflects the vision of the wise leadership in encouraging the practice of sports, given its importance and role as a pillar for investing in the human element.
The activities of this day have contributed greatly to raising awareness of the importance of sport in the lives of individuals and society, by increasing the number of sports practitioners of different ages and age groups in public parks, gyms, walking and cycling tracks.
All state institutions organise sports day programmes through sports venues and sports facilities in the country. This is done in coordination between sports institutions and authorities to achieve the desired goal.
All members of society participate in the activities of the current edition, following the necessary health measures, as the percentage of participants increases through coordination between schools and the Ministry of Education and Higher Education to raise the level of sports culture among young people.
Sports will not be limited to specific games, as the National Sports Day Committee has announced a calendar that includes 575 various activities carried out by the Qatar Sports for All Federation.
It includes all kinds of sports with its names and derivatives, in the interest of all segments of society, including children, pregnant women, the elderly, and women. It is part of the “365 Days of Activity” programme, which is implemented daily under the supervision of specialized coaches for all sports throughout the year and is available to all segments of society.
The State of Qatar’s interest in the sports comes from its knowledge and awareness of the growing role of sport in building a healthy human being who participates strongly and effectively in the nation’s march towards development. Sport is one of the most important pillars of Qatar National Vision 2030 (QNV 2030), and Qatar believes that sports diplomacy complements the role of official diplomacy in building and extending bridges of communication and bonds of love and cooperation between nations and deepening social and cultural ties between peoples.
Today, the sport has become a necessity in the lives of individuals and people, and it is no longer a kind of entertainment, but rather, in light of the requirements and life changes, it has become a necessity as the first line of defense to confront many non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as diabetes, stress, and obesity, which are considered a gateway to very serious diseases. Nowadays, people are less active, partly because technology has made our lives easier. We move less and burn less energy than people used to. Research suggests that many adults spend more than seven hours a day sitting, at work, on transportation, or in their spare time, and say inactivity is a silent killer that harms human health.
walking is one of the most beautiful and easiest sports for everyone, it is free, easy, does not require training or equipment, can be done at any time and anywhere, has many health benefits for people of all ages, and does not have any negative side effects, where one study showed that decision-making areas with the brains of walkers work more efficiently than people who sit for long periods, and confirmed that going for a walk can ignite creativity.
Sports Day represents an opportunity for all members of society to know about, learn, and master many types of sports as a kind of introducing a new sport, while sports activities constitute an opportunity to discover talents, develop them in the future, and nurture them in a manner that achieves the general benefit, as well as the educational aspect of different sports for all segments of society.
The importance of organizing sports day in Qatar every year is to promote the sport with its ethical and human values, many health benefits, to educate citizens and residents about the importance of sport in everyday life, and to encourage them to practice it throughout the year.
The State of Qatar celebrated the National Sports Day for the first time in Feb. 2012, after the issuance of Amiri Decision No. 80 of 2011, which stipulated that the second Tuesday of February of every year will be a National Sports Day and a paid holiday. During this day, the ministries, other government agencies, and public bodies and institutions sports organize events for their employees and their families participate to achieve awareness of the importance of sport and its role in the lives of individuals and societies.
All state institutions participate in this sporting event so that Qatar becomes a great stadium in which tens of thousands of citizens and residents from all segments of society practice many types of sports, where Qatar is considered a pioneer in organizing the sports day on the regional and international level, as some countries have started organizing a sports day similar to Qatar, given its importance to the individual and society.
The Sports Day is receiving great attention, as this special event has become popular with all who live in Qatar from all age groups, citizens, and residents, who are keen to spend a distinguished sports day embraced by all regions of the country.
It is expected that the current edition will witness record participation after Qatar has become an arena for sports, competition, and health in the presence of huge facilities prepared to be a prominent landmark that the whole world will witness in the upcoming events, most notably the 2022 FIFA World Cup and the upcoming events according to the state’s vision.
It is expected that tens of thousands of families will be citizens and residents in the specified sports arenas and sports facilities designated on the Sports Day, to achieve the desired goal, which is “Sports is life.” Marathons, walking, jogging, individual and group sports are expected to be a goal that all members of society compete within the current version, to enhance the value of sports and to enhance their importance in human life in terms of self-confidence and before that, prevention of diseases and intellectual convergence and with others. (QNA) (MORE)