The biggest annual sport festival in Qatar saw thousands of people descend on Aspire Zone Foundation’s (AZF) unique outdoor and indoor facilities to explore and enjoy the wide range of activities offered by the beating heart of sport in Qatar and the place where Qatar’s Asian Cup players learnt to be champions.

This year, February is no longer just a month of sport, it has been crowned the month of sporting triumphs after Qatar’s historical achievement in the 2019 Asian Cup.

In a 2019 exclusive, this year’s sporting festival was honoured by the presence of the Amir of Qatar His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.

Personal Representative of HH the Amir, His Excellency Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani also attended Aspire Zone, where he learned about Sambo – a Russian martial art – which was on display to the public on outdoor football pitch no 10. His Excellency was joined by the Ambassador of the Russian Federation to Qatar H.E. Mr. Nurmakhmad Kholov.

AZF’s National Sport Day (NSD) celebrations were attended by more than 30,000 people of all ages. Qatar’s community members, families and children enjoyed 30 sporting events across Aspire’s world-class venues: outdoor Football Pitch 10, Aspire Dome and Aspire park. Every corner of Aspire Zone was occupied with a sporting event.

Starting NSD with the iconic activity the Fun Run

Qatar’s NSD at Aspire begun with the famous Fun Run. The starting whistle was blown by Director General of Aspire Logistics, Abdullah Nasser Al-Naemi in the presence of AZF’s CEO, Mr. Mohammed Khalifa Al-Suwaidi who was accompanied by hundreds of running enthusiasts. The Fun Run covered an area of 3km around Khalifa International Stadium.

Aspire Zone- Qatar’s Sport Hub

Following the Fun Run, Aspire Zone’s staff participated in a walk around Aspire’s lake. It was headed by President of Aspire Zone Foundation, Hilal bin Jaham al-Kuwari, CEO of Aspire Zone Foundation, Mr. Mohammed Khalifa Al-Suwaidi, Director General of Aspire Logistics, Abdulla Nasser Al- Naemi, Deputy Director General of the Academy Mr. Ali Salem Afifa, and Acting CEO of Aspetar Mr. Abdelaziz Al-Kuwari. The 2 km walk around the lake included stops at various stations along the walk-pathway at which the officials conducted exercises that were led by professional trainers from Aspire Active.

New Russian sport a big hit on with the community

At football pitch number 10, the International Sambo Federation (FIAS) with general partner Rosneft, a leading Russian oil company, hosted a successful ‘Sambo’ Russian martial art event. It took place in the presence of the Ambassador of the State of Qatar to the Russian Federation, H.E Fahad bin Mohammed Al-Attiyah, the Ambassador of the Russian Federation to Qatar H.E., Mr. Nurmakhmad Kholov, and FIAS president Mr. Vasily Shestakov. Sambo, literally meaning self-defence without weapons, is a unique martial art and combative sport that was created by the Russian Federation in 1920. It is based on a mixture of all combative sports around the world.

A world of family-friendly activities at football pitch 10

Careful planning was done since the very first day by the AZF’s NSD planning committee to ensure a dedicated ambience for families and children. A huge range of family-friendly activities took place around football pitch number 10. These included: wall climbing, Thai boxing, Taekwondo, boxing, high/low-intensity training sessions, fitness classes, Moroccan Sports Corner, team building activities, fitness shows and Japanese Kendo Demonstrations.

Nordic walk around Aspire’s Lake

At 11am, the 45-minute Nordic walk, which was organised for the third consecutive year, started from behind Burgeri restaurant and saw a large public participation. Nordic Walking is a ‘total body’ version of walking that can be enjoyed by non-athletes as a healthy physical activity. Accredited trainers from Aspetar took participants through a number of educational stations.

Wall Climbing

The events of the NSD in Aspire Zone are launched under the close supervision of sports experts. Children from 5 years of age participated in training activities to learn mountain climbing skills that require clear focus and high level of fitness.

Female-only events at Aspire Dome

This year, AZF dedicated a secure and private sports zone for females only, held with an aim to consolidate healthy and active lifestyle within the female community in Qatar regardless of their age.

Since 10 am, Aspire Dome opened its doors for women and girls to participate in a variety of events in a fully covered hall, and activities included: gymnastics, badminton, basketball and aerobics.

Activities at Aspire Dome - challenge yourself

Aspire Dome hosted a variety of activities for families, including running, hammer throwing, plyometric challenges, and a 200-meter bike race. Such activities offer a diverse and rewarding set of challenges for all ages, increasing endurance, strength and flexibility.

Aspire Dome also witnessed a range of family fitness exercises that help people of different ages to strengthen their muscles. In addition, football players tested their skills such as shot accuracy and tackling the ball.

Local entities choose Aspire Zone as their preferred NSD celebration venue

AZF made its outdoor and indoor world-class facilities available to host more than 37 local government and private entities for their National Sport Day celebration. Organisations that have chosen Aspire Zone as their NSD partner this year include: The Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy, National Human Rights Committee, Qatargas, Qatar Fuel Additives Company (QAFAC), General Administration for Drug Control from the Ministry of Interior, KEO international consultants, Gulf Laboratories, Al-Taadhod Group, Ninja Vigor Sport Center, Kaged sports, Sports Corner, Ideal Solutions, Medgulf Construction, Electro City, and Planet Medical Center. In addition, a number of charitable entities and those dedicated to social causes also celebrated at Aspire – including Qatar Social Work Foundation, Qatar Institute for Speech and Hearing and Qatar’s Autism Centre & Special Needs.

Source: Press release

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Binu Cherian

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