Qatar Shell and Qatar Football Association (QFA) will celebrate this year’s Qatar National Day at Darb Al Saai with their award winning initiative Koora Time, offering an open football pitch and activities for all ages.
Over the course of the 12-day celebration, Koora Time will host a traditional Tembah tournament for local youth, with 96 students participating from sixteen different primary schools across Qatar. There will also be open play football for all age groups and a majlis with a virtual reality goal keeper game and other activities for younger children.
Former and current football players are also set to participate in the Tembah tournament which will be held in the morning and the evening time. The involvement of the players will have great impact on the school children as they will get a chance to learn the positive values of non-competitive football.
The sixteen teams are divided into two categories: the first category consisting of third and fourth graders, while the second group consisting of fifth and sixth graders. Matches are set to start on December 9 and will run until December 17. Two teams from the two categories will qualify to the knock-out stage and winners will be crowned on December 17.
Tembah is the name of the original and traditional-type football that was played in Qatar and the Gulf region in the past. Children get to play on the sand, barefoot and dress in traditional Qatari clothes.
The main objective of organising the Temba tournament is to spread the culture of football among young people and to encourage them to follow healthy and active lifestyle through football.
Koora Time is a ten-year sustainable initiative designed to improve the health and well-being of Qatar’s youth through football. The initiative facilitates access to an additional 72 hours of physical activity over its 18-week duration and more opportunities and spaces to play football.
In recognition for its positive impact on the health of youth, Koora Time has been the recipient of numerous awards including the 2014 & 2016 ‘Sports Industry Award’ for Best CSR Initiative, the 2015 ‘CSR Award Qatar’ for Best CSR Impact Initiative, the 2014 ‘Dar Al Sharq Corporate Social Responsibility Award’ for the Best Sports Initiative, the ‘2014, 2016 and 2017 AFC Dream of Asia Award’ in the area of social responsibility and the 2017 ‘QFA Awards’ for Best CSR Programme.
Khalid al-Kuwari, director of Marketing and Communications at QFA, said, “It is a great opportunity to have Koora Time take part in the country’s national day, as it allows us to introduce this great initiative to the wider local community and give them the chance to be part of a successful programme which focuses on the importance of a adopting a healthy lifestyle through football. Koora Time has received great positive feedback both locally and regionally.”
Al-Kuwari expressed his sincere thanks and appreciation to all those involved in the organising of Darb Al Saai for their efforts and stressed that this event undoubtedly gives everyone motivation to work together and reach the goals we all seek to achieve.
Since its launch in March 2013, the programme has benefited over 17,500 children across Qatar. Last year’s programme saw a significant reduction in Body Mass Index (BMI) by 80 percent of participants. BMI is a measure of body fat based on height and weight.
