Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) celebrated World Walking Day at the Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) Park on Thursday morning.
The event saw wide participation, featuring school students and a number of former Qatari athletes such as ex-footballers Hussein al-Rumaihi, Abdulaziz Hassan, Jassim al-Tamimi, in addition to a large number of walking enthusiasts.
The global initiative takes place every year under the umbrella of the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) Association for International Sport for All (Tafisa). The celebration aims at spreading the concept of sport and teaching the importance of sport in general and walking in particular.
Nasser al-Mudahka, head of the sports development and community affairs division at QOC's sports affairs department, said the committee’s celebration of World Walking Day stems from its keenness to organise such events in order to raise awareness about and spread the culture of sport among community members.
World Walking Day is executed by the IOC, represented by Tafisa, with most countries celebrating it annually, he added.
School students were among those who participated in the event.
Abdulaziz al-Ghanem, head of the community sport division at QOC's sports affairs department, expressed delight at the wide participation of school students and a large number of amateurs, adding that QOC was keen to share the celebration with the world every year so as to consolidate the importance of exercising in general and walking in particular due to its major health benefits for individuals.
On his part, former Qatar national team and Qatar SC goalkeeper al-Rumaihi said the celebration of walking sends a strong message to youths, students and community members. He extended thanks to QOC for encouraging students to be involved in all kinds of sport and walking in particular, thanks to its importance and also because it can be done with ease by people of all ages, noting that sport helps students in focusing.
Former national team and Al Wakrah player al-Tamimi expressed admiration for the idea of practising sport in general and walking in particular, in view of its importance in combating diseases and because it can be done any time. He called on people from all segments of society to head to parks and clubs to exercise, especially as the weather improves and the temperature drops.
Hassan, a former national team and Qatar SC player, praised the idea of celebrating and sharing World Walking Day with other countries and called on citizens and residents to walk every day, especially as the winter approaches and the weather gets better, which, he said, encourages people to go out and walk.
At the end of the celebration, Tafisa-accredited certificates were handed out to participants from schools, former athletes, MIA, Qatar Red Crescent Society and the Ministry of Education and Higher Education.
The global initiative takes place every year under the umbrella of the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) Association for International Sport for All (Tafisa). The celebration aims at spreading the concept of sport and teaching the importance of sport in general and walking in particular.
Nasser al-Mudahka, head of the sports development and community affairs division at QOC's sports affairs department, said the committee’s celebration of World Walking Day stems from its keenness to organise such events in order to raise awareness about and spread the culture of sport among community members.
World Walking Day is executed by the IOC, represented by Tafisa, with most countries celebrating it annually, he added.
School students were among those who participated in the event.
Abdulaziz al-Ghanem, head of the community sport division at QOC's sports affairs department, expressed delight at the wide participation of school students and a large number of amateurs, adding that QOC was keen to share the celebration with the world every year so as to consolidate the importance of exercising in general and walking in particular due to its major health benefits for individuals.
On his part, former Qatar national team and Qatar SC goalkeeper al-Rumaihi said the celebration of walking sends a strong message to youths, students and community members. He extended thanks to QOC for encouraging students to be involved in all kinds of sport and walking in particular, thanks to its importance and also because it can be done with ease by people of all ages, noting that sport helps students in focusing.
Former national team and Al Wakrah player al-Tamimi expressed admiration for the idea of practising sport in general and walking in particular, in view of its importance in combating diseases and because it can be done any time. He called on people from all segments of society to head to parks and clubs to exercise, especially as the weather improves and the temperature drops.
Hassan, a former national team and Qatar SC player, praised the idea of celebrating and sharing World Walking Day with other countries and called on citizens and residents to walk every day, especially as the winter approaches and the weather gets better, which, he said, encourages people to go out and walk.
At the end of the celebration, Tafisa-accredited certificates were handed out to participants from schools, former athletes, MIA, Qatar Red Crescent Society and the Ministry of Education and Higher Education.
