Qatar Foundation (QF) is helping people get into the National Sport Day spirit with online workouts and exercises for children, inspirational talks and inclusive sporting demonstrations.
An array of virtual activities hosted by the organisation will be available for all members of the community to enjoy on the day when Qatar stages a national celebration of sport and wellbeing, opening up opportunities to stay active and embrace a healthy lifestyle while still adhering to health guidelines amid the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.
QF is also teaming up with Qatar Museums and the US embassy in Doha to focus on inclusive, ability-friendly, virtual sessions in celebration of the Qatar-USA 2021 Year of Culture.
Professional instructors from gyms and fitness centres across Qatar will be holding sessions that are open to everyone through a dedicated National Sport Day section on QF’s website, while a series of activities for all ages are now ready for people to register through the newly-launched Education City App.
QF’s virtual National Sport Day offering reflects its commitment to encouraging, empowering, and enabling people to make sport and physical activity a central part of their lives, and to providing opportunities for them to maintain and improve their physical and mental wellbeing. With public safety remaining paramount as Qatar continues to combat the pandemic, this year’s activities are being taken online, while still providing something for everyone to enjoy – for free.
The programme of activities on QF’s website, which run from 8am-2pm, will be introduced by TV personality Khalid al-Jumaily, host of QF’s innovation TV show Stars of Science. Eight classes throughout the day, each lasting 30-45 minutes, will focus on stretching, strength and conditioning, workout sessions, Muay Thai, and yoga, as well as a gymnastics class and fitness bootcamp for children.
In between the classes, talks will be held by sportspeople such as Qatari athlete Mariam Farid and Olympic swimmer Nada Arakji, as well as experts from QF’s Sidra Medicine, Aspetar, and the Behavioural Healthcare Centre, covering topics including living a balanced lifestyle; women, youth, and sports development; mental wellbeing; exercise and mental health; and how to succeed in sport. All of these sessions and talks can be accessed without registration at www.qf.org.qa/nsd
Meanwhile, QF’s Community Engagement team has organised a series of activities for which registration is now open via the Education City App.
These include a virtual full body workout session with trainers from top US gym Dogpound, open to those aged 12-50; a Dogpound-led fun fitness activity called Puppypound for children aged 4-12; and online activities with Best Buddies, an organisation dedicated to ensuring inclusivity for people with developmental challenges, which are accessible to those aged five years and above with mobility and hearing impairments and learning challenges. These activities have been organised in partnership with the US Embassy in Qatar, as part of the Qatar-USA 2021 Year of Culture programme led by Qatar Museums.
People can also use the Education City App to register for fully-inclusive sessions focused on football, cricket, swimming, handcycling, wheelchair fencing, and archery, provided by QF’s Ability Friendly Programme in collaboration with the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy’s Generation Amazing programme, Accessible Qatar and Clement Academy.
And there is also the chance to participate in an online e-sports tournament and Ki-Gong classes, as well as to discover more about QF’s Akhlaquna initiative and how it is contributing to nurturing a society driven by strong moral values and behaviours.
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