Doha: The National Sport Day (NSD) 2023 will be held this year under the slogan “The choice is yours” to express the importance of dedicating a sports day for the state, the NSD Committee announced on Sunday.
The 12th edition of the NSD activities will take place on Tuesday, February 14.
Speaking at a press conference at Lusail Multipurpose Hall, Advisor to the Minister of Sports and Youth and President of the National Sports Day Committee Abdul Rahman Musallam Al Dosari said the NSD contributed greatly to raising awareness of the importance of sport in the lives of individuals and society.
“Now, years after Amiri Decision No. 80, issued by HH the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani in 2011, and since the launch of the NSD’s first edition, awareness of the importance of sport in the Qatari society is increasing, contributing to the realization of Qatar Vision 2030, through the development of the human element in which Qatar has invested over the past years,” Al Dosari said.
He added that the country’s infrastructure that supports sports activity includes 2,643 km of pedestrian and cycling paths, as well as more than about 100 sports facilities in the country, and a group of parks, green carpets, facilities and beaches.
“The NSD initiative was launched from Qatar, and found a huge global resonance based on the importance of sport and its ability to help prevent chronic diseases, enhance self-confidence, and rapprochement with others,” Al Dosari said.
Al Dosari said that more than 100 parties will participate in this year’s 130 activities in parks and sports facilities across the country, hailing sports as a strategic choice for the country, as evidenced by the hosting of large sporting events, and the prestigious position that Qatar has reached.
Al Dosari reviewed a report on the activities organized by the Qatar Sports for All Federation (QSFA) last year, in which a total of 207,631 male and female participants took part in the sports tournaments program, school events, running races, Al Furjan playground activities, and the 365-Day Activity Program, to make sports a way of life and arrive at a conscious society that realizes the importance of sports and its practice, with an emphasis on the latter, pointing out that a 2017 Qatar University study revealed that 86 percent recognize the importance of sports, yet he commented that the objective is to increase the number of people who play sports.
Al Dosari added that they were keen on adding to the events calendar numerous community events: such as World Obesity Day, World Diabetes Day, and World Mental Health, to raise society’s awareness of the importance of these global events.
Additionally, he said that special activities designated for women were also put in place, such as paddle, football, shooting, and table tennis, among others, due to the high turnout of women in these events, with the federation making an agreement with several gyms and relevant parties to offer discounted subscriptions to women to encourage them to play a sport.
Regarding the Sports for All Federation application update, Al Dosari explained that in meeting the community’s needs, the update includes several new and advanced features, such as providing health indicators and sending users encouragement notifications.
Al Dosari noted that the goal is to create a state of community awareness of the importance of practicing sports, especially that ASFA’s sporting events target segments of society and are commensurate with the given season of the year, making use of the state’s sporting facilities. An example of that would be the Lusail fitness center (Arena) which is dedicated to women’s activities, held in complete privacy. He added that ASFA seeks to introduce the sporting venues, activities, and events via the federation’s application, enabling subscribers to receive awareness messages as well as obtaining an obesity and biometrics medical report in cooperation with the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH).
Similarly, MoPH’s Healthcare Communications Committee Chair Ali Al Khater expressed his appreciation for the cooperation with the Ministry of Sports and Youth working on several initiatives, which contribute to making physical activity a societal daily practice, promoting Individual health, and reducing the rate of chronic diseases.
He stated that this year’s National Sport Day slogan “the choice is yours” embodies the adoption of a healthy lifestyle to improve the individual’s mental and physical health, and the prevention of many chronic diseases, such as diabetes, high blood pressure and cardiac diseases, in addition to activities that focus on the elderly.
Regarding the National Sport Day preparation, Al Khater reassured that the MoPH has everything set in all event and activities locations, inviting the public’s wide participation.
At the end of the conference, ASFA honored Qatari citizen Salem Al Marri who is a sports role model, due to his continuous participation in ASFA’s 365-Day Activity program, which is held daily all year round in public parks.
Al Dosari announced that Salem Al Marri’s selection as ASFA Ambassador, is due to his commitment to sports and his struggle with the disease, setting an example to be followed.
In turn, Salem Al Marri extended thanked the Ministry of Sports and Youth and ASFA for making sports accessible to all.
Commenting on the sporting events held by state institutions, Al Dosari noted that all state institutions will organize various sporting events for their members and affiliates in accordance with Amiri Decision No. 80 of 2011 to dedicate a sports day for the state, to encourage everyone to participate in sports activities with family members and colleagues.
Al Dosari highlighted the Qatar Sports for All Federation’s calendar which includes 683 sports activities throughout the year, the largest launched by the federation since its inception.
Source: QNA
Leave a comment