Moments from the various sporting events held at Aspire.


Touchdowns, tackles and topspin were all part of the eighth day of events at the Ramadan Sports Festival at Aspire Zone.

On an evening that saw hundreds of members of the Doha community take part in a wide variety of sports, highlights included a disabled men’s table tennis tournament, beach football and an American flag football competition.

Amateur sportsmen and professional athletes alike joined in the fun.

On Tuesday, Aspire Zone played host to several other exciting events as part of its efforts to provide sporting opportunities for all during the holy month of Ramadan. An American flag football tournament was one of the most popular activities, with six local amateur teams and more than 100 enthusiasts taking part. 

Famous NFL player Husain Abdullah, who currently plays for the Kansas City Chiefs, was on hand to launch the games, having recently been in training at Aspire Zone with the Qatar national American football team. During the evening, Husain interacted with participants and shared some of his training tips.

For many of the athletes, including Mohamed El Deeb, the event was their first time sampling the sport of American football.

Speaking after the games, Mohamed said: “I’ve been very impressed tonight by the sport’s popularity and the fan turnout. The Ramadan Festival really has catered to all tastes this year and I am sure that free events like this will help encourage the community to maintain healthy lifestyles.”

Among several other community sport events also taking place on that day were a football competition, women’s handball matches and a basketball competition. Separately, Aspire Zone’s unique beach football competition continued with a total of four matches held as part of the tournament.

Issa Khaldan al-Massoudi, team captain of local amateur side Muraikh, said: “This is the second time I have participated in the Ramadan Sports Festival and this year the competition is tougher than ever before. As well as participating in sport, this year I have also attended some religious activities at Aspire Zone and I have been very impressed with how well organised the events have been.”

The Ramadan Sports Festival is a community-focused event and an example of Aspire Zone Foundation’s commitment to encouraging healthy and active lifestyles among Qatar’s residents. For more information and to register for any of the events over the next two weeks, visit www.lifeinaspire.qa