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Under the slogan "I Chose Sport," the Qatar Chess Association (QCA) organized a comprehensive series of activities and events to celebrate the country’s National Sport Day. The events were held in accordance with Emiri Decree No. (80) of 2011, which designates the second Tuesday of February each year as a national day for sport. In a bid to ensure broad community engagement, QCA strategically distributed its activities across several key locations, including Museum Park, the Student Building at Qatar Foundation, Oxygen Park, Aspire Park, Old Doha Port, and Stadium 974.**media[415423]**These events were organized in close cooperation with the Ministry of Sports and Youth, the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, the Police Sports Federation, the Qatar Olympic and Sports Museum, and Aspire Academy. The day witnessed significant participation from federation officials, players, and the general public, continuing an annual tradition aimed at integrating sport into daily life. Mohammed al-Mudahka, President of QCA, praised the "exceptional atmosphere" that characterized the day. He noted that the large turnout reflected widespread public engagement with the holiday's objectives. "The Qatar Chess Association, in cooperation with state institutions, ensured a geographical distribution of events to cover different areas across the country," al-Mudahka said. "This strategy aimed to encourage broad participation from all members of society and to further promote chess culture." Al-Mudahka emphasized that this year’s slogan, "I Chose Sport," underscores the necessity of regular physical activity and carries implications that go beyond a single day of celebration. He further affirmed the Federation's commitment to organizing tournaments throughout the year for all age groups. Echoing these sentiments, Hamad al-Tamimi, Executive Director of QCAn, highlighted the impact of the events on the next generation. "These events contribute effectively to spreading the game of chess and expanding the base of practitioners within Qatari society, especially among the youth," al-Tamimi said. He added that the tournaments were distinctive, featuring confrontations "full of strength and challenge" between participating players. QCA expressed its gratitude to all partner institutions for their ongoing support in making the National Sport Day activities a success.

The organising committee of Qatar’s Strongest Man 2026 Championship, held in its first edition of the GCC Challenge, is preparing to organise a technical meeting with 11 competitors who have qualified for the final stage of the competition.This comes ahead of the official start of the competitions at 3pm on January 23, in the parking area opposite the open fields in Aspire Park.The championship features competitors representing Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia.During the event, athletes take on a series of demanding strength challenges, including carrying weights of up to 350kg, lifting massive 140kg sandbags onto elevated platforms in the fastest time, the 350kg tyre flip race, and the medley challenge weighing up to 125kg, before concluding with the truck pull challenge, featuring a 15.5-tonne truck.Aspire Zone Foundation (AZF) has successfully established the championship as a prominent annual event on Qatar’s sports calendar, attracting elite athletes and providing a dedicated platform for fans of strength and endurance sports.The event has gained strong popularity among enthusiasts, serving as an annual benchmark for physical excellence and supporting the AZF’s mission to promote sports participation for health and active lifestyles.As part of its commitment to deliver engaging mass-spectator events, the AZF will also organise a range of family-friendly activities, including a dedicated fan zone, sports activities for children, and food and local product outlets, creating a comprehensive entertainment experience for visitors of all ages. 

More than 2,000 people attended the opening day and the second day of the Aspire Academy Fan Zone, launched as part of the festivities surrounding the ongoing FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2025.**media[380440]**The Aspire Academy Fan Zone, based in Aspire Park, was officially opened by the FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2025 mascot Boma, alongside legendary coach Bora Milutinovic, the man who inspired the tournament's owl symbol.The Serbian coach is not only the only man in history to lead five different national teams at five consecutive FIFA World Cups; he has also played a significant role in Qatar’s football development and continues to serve in an advisory role at Aspire Academy.**media[380434]**That legacy as a talent scout and mentor is reflected in Boma’s character, a wise desert owl always on the lookout for emerging talent.The Aspire Academy Fan Zone will be open daily from 4 p.m. until 10 p.m. until the day of the Under-17 World Cup final on 27 November.**media[380436]**The area will offer a fun and interactive experience for all and a chance to win prizes.Visitors will be able to put their footballing skills to the test across six exciting challenges designed to measure their power, accuracy, agility, and jumping ability—and win prizes.Aspire Academy’s Acting Marketing and Communication Director, Muneera Mohammed Hammam, said it was important for the Academy to mark such a landmark event.**media[380438]**“This FIFA Under-17 World Cup is a moment of history for Aspire Academy, as we are hosting 103 of the 104 matches at the finals,” she said.“This is the first time a single venue like ours has hosted an entire World Cup football tournament.”**media[380444]**“We are proud that all the matches are being played on Aspire Academy pitches, except November 27th’s final, which will be held at the neighbouring Khalifa International Stadium.”“Not only are we hosting this newly expanded event, but we are incredibly proud and excited that the entire Qatar squad for the tournament have been trained at Aspire Academy.”**media[380435]**“Eleven of the players are current student-athletes at the Academy, another six graduated in June, and four more are Aspire Academy-trained players.”“We want everyone coming to watch the matches to enjoy their time at Aspire Academy watching the tournament, and we want them to have some fun as they test their own footballing skills.”**media[380437]**“This Fan Zone promises to be fun for fans of all ages and offers them the chance to walk away with a prize if they can successfully complete all the challenges.”**media[380442]**The 2025 FIFA Under-17 World Cup is the first of five that Qatar will host as the event becomes annual rather than biennial.

Hundreds participated in the annual Pink Walk at Aspire Park on Saturday to highlight the need to embrace a healthier lifestyle, stay aware of the causes of breast cancer, and take steps to reduce the risk of developing it.Organised by the Aspire Zone Foundation (AZF), the event encompassed interactive awareness programmes and warm-up sessions along with a walk around Aspire Park.There was a Pink Booth with free breast health information about early detection and prevention.It was organised as part of the AZF’s mission to encourage healthy lifestyle and participate in breast cancer awareness in line with the observance of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, an annual international health campaign organised by major breast cancer charities every October.