The activities of the 13th edition of the National Sports Day, under the slogan "The Choice is Yours," kicked off Tuesday morning all over the country, It is an annual tradition and an unprecedented initiative unique to the State of Qatar, which aims to raise awareness of the importance of sport and its role in the lives of societies and to make it an essential part of an individuals daily life.
This year's edition witnesses 250 events organised by governmental and non-governmental bodies in public parks and sports facilities, distributed comprehensively and evenly throughout the country.
These sporting events are available to everyone at early hours of this morning. Doha Corniche, Aspire, The Pearl, Qatar Foundation, Lusail, Msheireb and Katara appeared like huge sports arenas.
A wide audience of citizens and residents, especially children, were keen to come early this morning to enjoy various sporting events, activities and entertainment shows.
Participants in the National Sports Day's activities painted a wonderful sports picture that was embodied today in various parts of the country, turning Doha into a large sports stadium that accommodates everyone, including citizens and residents of all age groups.
Since the launch of the National Sports Day celebrations, all state institutions have been keen to participate annually in this sporting event.
This distinguished event has become well received by all those living in Qatar from different age groups, citizens and residents, who are keen to spend a special sports day.
All sports activities in the 13th edition of the Sports Day will be held under the slogan "The Choice is Yours" to express the importance of devoting a sports day to the country.
The slogan aims to emphasize that the practice of sports based on awareness is the ideal choice for facing the challenges of the times and combating chronic diseases caused by lack of movement.
The National Sports Day initiative contributed significantly to raising awareness of the importance of sports in the lives of individuals and Qatari society, contributing to achieving Qatar Vision 2030, through developing the human element in which the State of Qatar has invested over the past years.
The State of Qatar is characterized by an infrastructure that helps to practice sport activities by providing walking and cycling tracks, many sports facilities, and about 150 of public parks, facilities and beaches, in addition to increasing the number of licenses for sports activities in the private sector to 1,216. Last year witnessed the issuance of 125 new licenses to practice sports, which confirms the positive indicators of the growth of sports practice in the society.
The importance of organising the Sports Day in Qatar every year is to raise the value of sports, with its moral and human aspects, and to raise awareness of the importance of sports in daily life, as well as to encourage people to practice it throughout the year.
The State of Qatar celebrated the National Sports Day for the first time in February 2012 after the issuance of the Amiri decision No. 80 of 2011, stipulating that each Tuesday of the second week of February shall be Qatar National Sports Day, and that it shall be an official holiday, during which the ministries, other government entities and public institutions organise sport events that employees and their families can participate in.
The State of Qatar is considered a pioneer in organising a Sports Day regionally and globally due to its importance to the individuals and society.
