A girl trying her hand at table tennis at the Sports Village. Several facilities have been set up in Qatar as the country prepares to hold its National Sport Day.
By Ayman Adly
Staff Reporter
The National Sport Day, marked on the second Tuesday of February every year, is a special event for Qatar which has ambitious plans to become a world capital of sporting activities.
“The National Sport Day is a popular event with all sections of society as it promotes a healthy way of life,” says Saad Abdulla, a Qatari, who owns a construction company.
He said that every year he gave his employees free sport clothes bearing the company's logo and encouraged them to go out and play their favourite games or do exercises.
All government departments and many private sector companies plan to organise special programmes to get their employees and their families involved in some sport activities.
The members of the Central Municipal Council (CMC) are set to mark the day with the staff while expressing their hope that the occasion would be used by the residents as a good opportunity to adopt a healthy lifestyle and make it a regular habit.
A number of families said they had made plans to spend the day out among their community members and take part in activities planned for various age groups.
“We are planning to leave Doha early in the morning and go to the Sealine area where small groups would be able to play their favourite games but the focus will be on football and swimming,” said Hassan, an Arab expatriate.
“Even though I do some jogging every day, especially in the afternoons on the Corniche, sport activities on this day have a special attraction because it is a public event and everybody is keen to be part of it,” said a European expatriate woman.
The fourth edition of the National Sport Day is expected to witness more activities than the previous ones. Many residents see it as a true display of the country’s approach to promote a healthy lifestyle for its residents. Different stadiums, the Corniche, the Aspire Zone and the Sport Village set up by the Qatar Olympic Committee are the spots within Doha that are set to witness huge turnouts of sport enthusiasts on the day.
The National Sport Day is a public holiday in Qatar.
“Many of the major infrastructure and construction projects of the country are spurred by the preparation for the World Cup 2022, ” said Hamad, a local entrepreneur, stressing the strong link between sport and good business climate and opportunities in the country.
Shops that sell sportwear have reported good sale of items like T-shirts, sport pants and shoes in the last few days.
“Some companies have ordered bulk quantities with a request to put their logos on T-shirts and caps. This is a one-day event but it is a very good business opportunity for us,” said an expatriate supervisor at a sport goods retailer.