The12th edition of the National Sport Day, which will be held on Tuesday, Feb 14, will be a unique version as the first to follow the great achievement of hosting FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, where the immortal legacy left by the World Cup and the wonderful infrastructure and facilities have become the perfect place in which sport is practised by all members of society of all ages.
The stadiums and the facilities will remain a witness to the great value that sport enjoys in Qatar, until it has become a way of life through its practice all over the world, when the different regions during the Sport Day turn into open stadiums, as has been the case since the first edition that came in response to the Amiri Resolution No 80 of 2011, which stipulated that the second Tuesday of February of every year will be a National Sport Day, during which all kinds of sports were practised, in an unprecedented gesture unique to Qatar, which was a destination for millions of fans, and the focus of the world’s attention during the World Cup.
The 2023 Sport Day coincides with the lifting of restrictions that were imposed in recent years due to the (Covid-19) pandemic, which did not discourage Qatar from preserving the unique annual tradition, the matter that makes the 12th edition a celebration of overcoming the pandemic, thanks to the great efforts made by the State in co-operation with various institutions of society.
The Ministry of Sports and Youth is expected to hold a press conference to announce the logo for the current edition of the Sport Day, in addition to revealing all the activities and events that will be held this year and their specific locations, including all sports facilities, stadiums and parks of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 that were built on the basis of sustainability and legacy, which is the main pillar from which the Delivery and Legacy Committee started in the construction of stadiums and infrastructure in accordance with Qatar Vision 2030, as well as all the various facilities, stadiums, areas and gyms available in the country.
The fans, who visited Qatar during FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, have seen the positive impact left by the Qatari leadership in organising the Sport Day during the past years since the first edition, which reflects the vision of the wise leadership in encouraging the practice of sports.
The world has observed the great urbanisation of the Qatari society, which believes in the value of sport as a basic pillar for investing in the human element, which contributed to increasing the number of people practising sports and those involved in it in general of different ages and age groups in public parks, gyms, walking paths, and cycling.
All state institutions organise special programmes for the Sport Day, through sports venues and facilities designated for sport in the country.
This is done in co-ordination between sports institutions and authorities in order to achieve the desired goal, which is to continue increasing the numbers of participants, especially in light of the constant communication between schools and the Ministry of Education and Higher Education with the aim of raising the level of sport culture among young people.
The practice of sport is not limited to specific games, where the National Sport Day Committee has been setting a specific agenda that includes various activities, as in the previous edition, which witnessed the holding of 575 various activities through the Qatar Sports for All Federation.
It included all kinds of sports in the interest of society groups, including children, women and the elderly.
Chairman of the Organising Committee for the 12th Sport Day activities at the Aspire Zone Foundation Sheikh Mohamed bin Fahad al-Thani said that they are celebrating the National Sport Day every year, which is one of the most important events in the sports calendar of Qatar.
In a statement to Qatar News Agency (QNA), he added: “Our preparations at the Foundation for this year have reached their climax by working to provide a variety of sports and entertainment events for all age groups and different levels of fitness, stressing that the goals and mission of the Aspire Zone Foundation are to promote a healthy lifestyle and to build generations that enjoy mental and physical health, in line with the objectives of the National Sport Day.
He indicated the Foundation’s determination to choose events and activities, based on what suits all the needs of community members, concluding his remarks by saying that the Foundation opens its doors during this day to all companies and institutions wishing to benefit from our global facilities and organisational capabilities to hold their own events.
In a statement to QNA, Editor-in-Chief of Estad Al Doha newspaper Majid al-Khulaifi said the wise leadership of Qatar is behind the social dimension of the idea of organising the Sport Day, describing the idea as the pioneering Qatari experience that many countries in the world seek to learn from and follow.
Al-Khulaifi added the Sport Day had economic and investment dimensions, and it also had a role in the completion of various projects and the construction of stadiums, as well as media investments, in addition, the idea contributes to creating healthy lifestyles for citizens and residents.
President of the Qatar Chess Association (QCA) Mohamed al-Madhahka stressed that Qatar has succeeded in achieving the goals of allocating a sport day for the state, by enhancing society’s awareness of the importance and benefits of sport, which was reflected in the active and positive participation of various members of society in the activities of the Sport Day over the past years, and making sports practice a part of their daily lives.
Al-Madhahka pointed out that the results of the sports day began to appear clearly on the members of society, and various institutions began fixing a day a week for practising sports, and some of them started adopting special training centres, while the ministries allocated rooms for physical training, similar to those in sports clubs, in the interest of Qatari sports.
In a related context, Dr Saif al-Hajri, the former Al Sadd player, confirmed that the Sport Day is gaining great importance in all parts of Qatar, given the importance of sport and its lofty values.
Al-Hajri, who chairs the Sports and Environment Committee, and whose football career spanned 17 years, during which he played for the Al Sadd team for a period of nearly 12 years, added that practising sports is a source of pride for us as it always makes a difference and Sport Day is an occasion to celebrate sporting values.
Mubarak Mustafa, former Qatari national team player, said the National Sport Day is a tangible example of Qatar’s commitment to raising awareness of the importance of sport and physical activity as two essential elements for maintaining health and safety.
Mohamed Mubarak al-Muhannadi, a member of the Senior Players Committee, said that sport has become an integral part of the life of Qatari society, and has turned into a lifestyle and culture for the individual and society, through which societies rise and develop.
Yassin Ismail, the former player of the Qatari national basketball team, stressed the importance of sport in the lives of peoples, and that the great interest of Qatar in it contributed to achieving a great leap at the level of all games.
He added that Sport Day has achieved great interaction and participation from all segments of society.
As in previous years, a wide range of events and activities will be held to celebrate the National Sport Day, including the various groups of Qatari society, including men, women, children and people with special needs, to maintain a healthy and functional life.
