NSD 2017: Qatar to celebrate sport Tuesday

Qatar's National Sport Day (NSD) 2017 will feature an array of activities at various locations across the country Tuesday to promote an active and healthy lifestyle.

Katara – the Cultural Village will be hosting more than 80 athletic activities organised by various sports associations. These include indoor and outdoor competitions, as well as water sport (swimming and triathlon), from 9am to 6pm at the esplanade and beach area.Themes as “Show the game skills,” the NSD at Katara will also see various individual and team sports, live sports demonstrations, unique activities.Apart from tennis, chess, basketball, football, beach handball, beach volleyball, and cycling, there will be a horse parade, wrestling exercises, fencing shows, teaching the public how to sail and row, paratroopers show, hydro bikes show, and jogging competition, among others.Children will have the opportunity to take part in a number of activities such as golf training, unique games, and other sports competitions while families can join the triathlon event.Organisers have also prepared a number of activities and exercises for women and the visually-impaired.Aspire Zone Foundation (AZF) is all set to launch one of the biggest NSD celebrations in Qatar with a “perfect blend” of sporting activities and family fun.A 3km run around AZF will mark the opening of the annual celebration (from the Torch Hotel area) followed by the ‘Namat’ physical activity and health educational stations from 8am to 11am. Besides traditional sports competitions such as basketball and volleyball, AZF will also host bouncy castles, obstacle courses, and football skills for children at outdoor pitch (10) from 9am to 3pm. It will also hold female-only activities inside the Aspire Dome.AZF will feature a new sporting trend – “Nordic walking” – an affordable sporting activity that burns large numbers of calories and helps achieve total body fitness. The sport, which originated from the Scandinavian region in northern Europe, is known to help improve overall physical and mental health. Aspetar’s public health specialist Dr Husam Rezeq, also the head of the Exercise is Medicine Clinic, cited the numerous health benefits of Nordic walking to patients and non-athletes.Citing recent studies conducted in developed countries, he noted that the exercise activates 90% of the body’s muscles, burns up to 46% more calories and improves cardio-pulmonary fitness through increasing heart rate by 10% to 15% compared to regular walking. Dr Rezeq said Nordic walking also increases the lateral mobility of the spine, improves co-ordination and balance, works the upper and lower body at the same time and reduces the pressure on the knees and joints. Qatar Foundation (QF) will also focus on sport activities designed to entertain every family member in Tuesday’s NSD celebration at Education City. A walkathon will kick off at 9am at Oxygen Park to mark the start of QF’s slew of activities, including a 40k cycling event and a high-energy and action-packed ‘The Game of Games’ event.QF will also host pony rides organised by Al Shaqab, ladies-only fitness classes at the Hamad bin Khalifa University Student Centre, a range of fun-filled games, and an inflatable golf structure for children.QF noted that it will deploy its nutrition clinic at the venue, alongside a number of health-food vendors, to give ‘nutritional advice’ to visitors.As part of its aim to promote healthy lifestyles, Qatar Tourism Authority partnered with the hospitality sector to offer special packages to residents and visitors, including free access to hotel gyms, membership discounts of up to 50%, and free gym classes. Some venues such as Al Wakrah and Al Khor will also host sports competitions, physical and recreational activities to provide wholesome entertainment and fun to families and individuals.