Qatar’s ninth National Sport Day (NSD) once again transformed Aspire Zone into a colossal sporting venue Tuesday, hosting an array of indoor and outdoor events for thousands of people to enjoy and experience.
Aspire Park greeted a large number of families and children, as well as groups of friends and individuals, with engaging and fun-filled activities as the cold and windy weather failed to dampen their spirits.
Aspire’s popular 2.5km fun run kicked off at 8am from The Torch Doha Hotel to the Khalifa International Stadium
Aspire’s popular 2.5km fun run kicked off at 8am from The Torch Doha Hotel to the Khalifa International Stadium, coinciding with several other activities for participants of all ages and abilities.
Fitness classes at pitch number 10 involved cardio step, Tabata, aerobic, grit cardio, spinning, interval training, body combat and stretching while fitness relay included jumping jack, med ball goblet squat, burpee, push-ups, jump over small and tall hurdle/crawl under equaliser/sprint.
Many Qatar residents, especially children, also took part in recreational and sport activities (outdoor) such as tug of war, obstacle races, a number of table-top games (dartminton and foosball), mini archery, 5X5 football for men and women, taekwondo and boxing practice, the newly-introduced Run&Bike race, foot-volley for adults and volleyball for kids, among others.
“The sport day in Qatar this year is really amazing. I have seen a lot of events and offerings for all of us,” Sri Lankan expatriate Mohamed Mafais told Gulf Times. “It is good, it is wonderful and we are enjoying it together with family and friends.”
He recalled they have been attending the NSD celebration at Aspire Zone for the fifth consecutive year.
Compared to previous NSD’s, Mafais noted that this year is unique and Aspire organised more activities and playing arenas for visitors at various locations.
“Aspire is a very unique place for sports day because it has a wide space and it really gives a sporting atmosphere, it is motivating and keeps people energetic,” he said.
“Sport is very important for me because I had a back pain before and the doctor asked me to reduce my weight, I was like 99kg and told to reduce to 82kg, and being active made me well,” he said. “Rugby is my favourite because I used to play it back home, it is one of the most popular sports in Sri Lanka. Here we always play football.”
Mafais said he is impressed with Qatar’s “state-of-the-art sports facilities” particularly at Aspire saying that this was one of the reasons he decided to move to the country.
Several indoor activities at Aspire Dome, which also formed part of Aspire Zone Foundation’s varied programme of sports activities for NSD, welcomed many families, including those of Aspire Academy, Aspetar and Aspire Logistics employees.
Wall climbing, basketball, badminton, athletics, and 3X3 football matches, among other challenges, served as a test of stamina and endurance for many enthusiasts.
“I plan to continue what I started today this sports day, feels like I burned a lot of calories. I saw many people here at Aspire who are way older than me but are extremely active, so this is very inspiring,” said Abdullah, a Sudanese expatriate who participated in a number of sports activities at Aspire. “The NSD celebration here at Aspire is so impressive; there is something for everyone to do.”
Aspire’s popular 2.5km fun run kicked off at 8am from The Torch Doha Hotel to the Khalifa International Stadium
Mohamed Mafais with his son at Aspire. PICTURE: Joey Aguilar
Table tennis remains to be a favourite activity despite a cold and windy weather
Table-top games attract many young visitors
Basketball enthusiasts enjoying the game
Boxing practice sessions also attracted many visitors
Aspire Park's pitches host several football matches for young players
Girls try the mini archery activity at Aspire Park
An array outdoor activities at Aspire Park attracted a large number of residents.
Young children take part in various recreational activities at Aspire Park
Aspire’s popular 2.5km fun run kicked off at 8am from The Torch Doha Hotel to the Khalifa International Stadium, coinciding with several other activities for participants of all ages and abilities.
Fitness classes at pitch number 10 involved cardio step, Tabata, aerobic, grit cardio, spinning, interval training, body combat and stretching while fitness relay included jumping jack, med ball goblet squat, burpee, push-ups, jump over small and tall hurdle/crawl under equaliser/sprint.
Many Qatar residents, especially children, also took part in recreational and sport activities (outdoor) such as tug of war, obstacle races, a number of table-top games (dartminton and foosball), mini archery, 5X5 football for men and women, taekwondo and boxing practice, the newly-introduced Run&Bike race, foot-volley for adults and volleyball for kids, among others.
“The sport day in Qatar this year is really amazing. I have seen a lot of events and offerings for all of us,” Sri Lankan expatriate Mohamed Mafais told Gulf Times. “It is good, it is wonderful and we are enjoying it together with family and friends.”
He recalled they have been attending the NSD celebration at Aspire Zone for the fifth consecutive year.
Compared to previous NSD’s, Mafais noted that this year is unique and Aspire organised more activities and playing arenas for visitors at various locations.
“Aspire is a very unique place for sports day because it has a wide space and it really gives a sporting atmosphere, it is motivating and keeps people energetic,” he said.
“Sport is very important for me because I had a back pain before and the doctor asked me to reduce my weight, I was like 99kg and told to reduce to 82kg, and being active made me well,” he said. “Rugby is my favourite because I used to play it back home, it is one of the most popular sports in Sri Lanka. Here we always play football.”
Mafais said he is impressed with Qatar’s “state-of-the-art sports facilities” particularly at Aspire saying that this was one of the reasons he decided to move to the country.
Several indoor activities at Aspire Dome, which also formed part of Aspire Zone Foundation’s varied programme of sports activities for NSD, welcomed many families, including those of Aspire Academy, Aspetar and Aspire Logistics employees.
Wall climbing, basketball, badminton, athletics, and 3X3 football matches, among other challenges, served as a test of stamina and endurance for many enthusiasts.
“I plan to continue what I started today this sports day, feels like I burned a lot of calories. I saw many people here at Aspire who are way older than me but are extremely active, so this is very inspiring,” said Abdullah, a Sudanese expatriate who participated in a number of sports activities at Aspire. “The NSD celebration here at Aspire is so impressive; there is something for everyone to do.”
