POSTED: 2012-02-14 14:02:14
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
LAURA WALDEN / Sports Features Communications
TAMPA: Qatar launched the first National Sports Day today and is one of the few countries around the world to dedicate a special holiday for recreation and wellness.
The Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) was in charge of overseeing the preparations bringing together Government agencies, private sector companies, educational and social institutions to participate in over 350 free activities. All public sports facilities in the country opened their doors to the public for free between 7am and 8pm.
Sheikh Saoud bin Abdelrahman Al-Thani, QOC General Secretary, said, “Today has been a fantastic day and we have seen a great response from public and private organisations to really get behind this important national initiative.
“It is great to see so many people, from young boys and girls to their grandparents, get involved and try new sports. The whole nation has really embraced Qatar’s first National Sports Day and it shows what can be achieved with vision and commitment.”
Qatar Petroleum on its own organized over 50 activities across the nation including the offshore operations for employees and families.
The Qatar Football Association, Qatar 2022 Supreme Committee and Qatar Stars League hosted a special ‘Football Town’ event which included soccer tournaments and beach soccer clinics hosted by superstar beach player, Ramiro Amarelle, as well as interactive fan zones.
Organizations and companies such as Qatar Airways, Al Jazeera, RasGas and Q Media all on their own staged sports activities for staff and families.
In line with the activities, the Doha 2020 bid organised a 4K Fun Run at the Aspire Zone and ceo Noora Al Mannai, noted, “It is wonderful to see so many people participate in the 4K race to celebrate National Sports Day.
“This initiative is all about inspiring and supporting change and getting more people actively engaged in sport, healthy lifestyles and bring communities together, and I think today is a great step to achieving this.”
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