The Ministry of Public Health (MoPH), institutions and authorities marked National Sport Day yesterday in order to encourage employees and their families to participate in sporting activities.
The MoPH, Hamad Medical Corporation and Primary Health Care Corporation organised festive events including sports and awareness activities on the importance of sport, physical activity and its many benefits to physical and mental health.
HE the Minister of Public Health Dr Hanan Mohamed al-Kuwari and heads of the health sector participated in an event at Hamad Bin Khalifa Medical City, amid a large participation of employees.
The event included a walking exercise in addition to a number of exercises and medical examinations for the employees, and a football match for employees of the ministry, HMC and PHCC.
The minister stressed that National Sport Day contributes to health promotion and emphasises the importance of sport and its role in the lives of individuals and societies, noting that Sport Day is being held as Qatar is preparing to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup and that it supports health.
HE Dr al-Kuwari explained that Sport Day demonstrates the great interest of wise leadership in the health and well-being of citizens as a priority, as the initiative serves healthy goals through the large participation of all social groups in sport activities, while increasing awareness to make exercise a daily behaviour for individuals.
PHCC leaders, employees, medical and nursing staff and their families participated in many health and sport events in the public park near the Leabaib Health Center.
Huda Mohsen al-Wahedi, executive director, Corporate Communication at PHCC, affirmed that many events have been planned in Leabaib Park this year, including sport matches and health messages relating to proper nutrition, adding that there will be a health awareness corner to be run by nutritionists to introduce healthy lifestyles, provide medical advice and discuss the importance of healthy nutritional programmes and physical activity.
Various vital examinations will be also provided by the nursing staff, she said, noting that these efforts come because of a close link between exercising regularly and the prevention of many chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity.
The event, she said, also includes physical and athletic activities, games and competitions, in addition to awareness lectures in both Arabic and English on sports for the employees in the PHCC’s main building.
Al-Wahedi concluded by saying that the corporation is interested in spreading the culture of daily sporting practice among students as it is an important part of their daily life programme through the vision and services of the School Health Administration of the PHCC that organises a set of events through nursing in schools to spread the culture of the importance of daily sport among students and the school community, and through simple educational lectures in addition to activities measuring vital signs, weight and height, and examining the percentage of sugar in the blood given that diabetes and obesity are among the most common health problems.
For its part, the Public Prosecution participated in the Sport Day with activities held on Doha Corniche, in the presence of HE Attorney-General Dr Ali bin Fetais al-Mari, a number of deputy prosecutors and Public Prosecution employees.
HE Dr al-Marri affirmed that Sport Day is a creative initiative that attaches great importance to the sport field thanks to the wise leadership of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin
Hamad al-Thani.
In a statement, he said that Qatar has provided all the capabilities and potentials to allow all members of society to practice sports everywhere in modern infrastructure and facilities, where many places and facilities have been allocated for the practice of physical activity.
Yousef Saif Buhindi, director, Public Relations and Communication at the Public Prosecution, said Sport Day is one of the strategic pillars set by Qatar within the framework of achieving its National Vision 2030 that is concerned with human development and preserving the health of the individual and society.
The National Human Rights Committee (NHRC) also celebrated the National Sport Day by organising various events and sports activities, children’s competitions and a lecture on yoga and its importance in the framework of human health behaviour.
NHRC Vice-Chairman Dr Mohamed bin Saif al-Kuwari said many countries encourage sports but Qatar is the only country that has a day dedicated for sports, in which all groups and segments of society participate, and provides open arenas and sports stadiums, parks and amusement facilities for exercising sports.
He pointed out that many countries have praised this unique Qatari sport initiative and that the NHRC is keen to celebrate this occasion as an official annual sporting event to highlight the value of sport and its physical benefits which are reflected positively and directly on human behaviour in all areas of his life.
Celebrating this occasion every year confirms the wise leadership’s interest in sports in all its forms, he added, saying that the interest of Qatar in sports is in line with that of the United Nations in the importance of harnessing sport for sustainable development, making and building peace and tolerance, mutual understanding and harmony, while reducing tensions, inequality and prejudice.
The NHRC vice-chairman praised the great attention the State attaches to sports of all kinds and types, noting that Qatar has repeatedly affirmed its keenness to pay special attention to the need to respect human rights standards and laws in organising major sporting events, including the FIFA World Cup tournament to be hosted in 2022.
For his part, NHRC Assistant Secretary-General Sultan bin Hassan al-Jamali stressed that the Sport Day reflects human, social and cultural values and represents an important milestone during the year not only for the purpose of exercising sports but also for assessing and planning sports behaviour during the new year.
He described Qatar as the sport front of the world and its focus in all that related to sport after it hosted international competitions and championships, made successive successes and won the world’s confidence in hosting the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Al-Jamali explained that the NHRC celebrates every year the country’s Sport Day based on the fact that exercising sport is a basic human right, and this includes the right to health and to life itself.
Meanwhile, the Center for Empowerment and Care of the Elderly (Ehsan) and the centres under the umbrella of the Qatar Social Work Foundation in co-operation with the Qatar Foundation participated in the Sport Day activities in the park of the Qatar Foundation.
The Sport Day events were attended by Qatar Social Work Foundation CEO Amal bint Abdel Latif al-Mannai, Ehsan Center executive director Mubarak bin Abdulaziz al-Khalifa, and a number of managers and employees of the centres affiliated to the Qatar Social Work Foundation. (QNA)
