*Organisers want all residents to take part so that the whole country becomes a playground
Events lined up for Qatar National Sport Day on Tuesday will be innovative and inclusive, allowing all members of the community to participate, says a top sport official.
Abdulrahman bin Musallam al-Dosari, chairman of National Sport Day Committee and president of Qatar Sports for All Federation (QSFA), said at a press conference on Sunday that the major events planned by the Ministry of Culture and Sports and QSFA will be innovative this year, including a fun race and balloon race at Al Bida'a Park, which will allow all members of the community to participate.
The festival will start at 8.30am at Al Bida'a Park, which will also witness many special events.
He said there will be special events at Aspire, which is equipped with all the facilities to host all sport activities.
Katara, Corniche and all parks will be dedicated for sport events on the day.
Al-Dosari said the organisers were keen on holding the events throughout Qatar so that the whole country becomes a playground.
He said the Qatar Sport Day is a unique initiative that promotes the importance of sport in the community, adding that it also enhances the leadership's interest in the human being, which is the real means to achieve Qatar National Vision 2030, which focuses on health and sports.
He pointed out that sport has become a necessity in the lives of individuals and is no longer a kind of entertainment, as it is the first line of defence to address many diseases such as diabetes, hypertension and obesity, which is a gateway to serious diseases.
"The awareness of the importance of sport in the Qatari society, both among Qataris and residents, is increasing from year to year."
Al-Dosari revealed that QSFA has launched a mobile application to help Qatari youth know about sport facilities available in the country.
He said the App includes a reward system for registration and pointed out that the App also helps users know about more people interested in the same sport .
In co-operation with Primary Health Care Corporation and Aspetar, the application will provide its users with a six-month report on their health and will advise them on activities appropriate for them. Besides, there will be valuable prizes for the App users.
On the Qatar Youth League Championship, al-Dosari, the director of the championship, revealed that the number of teams participating in the fourth edition of the tournament this year increased to 15, adding that the tournament will be held at the Doha Stadium and Al Markhiya Sports Club every Tuesday and Wednesday with three matches a day.
The tournament will begin on Wednesday, and the game time is only 25 minutes.
The prizes for the current edition were increased by 40% and reached QR200,000 to encourage young people to exercise. The number of participants has increased from 220 to 300.
