DOHA : Aspire Academy welcomed more than 1,000 visitors to Aspire Park on Tuesday as it continued its annual celebrations of Qatar’s National Sports Day, held as part of activities organised by the Aspire Zone Foundation.
The event attracted participants from across Doha and a wide range of age groups, with visitors taking part in a series of “Test Yourself” challenges prepared by the academy’s coaches. Several senior officials attended, including Shura Council chairman Hassan bin Abdullah Al-Ghanim, Aspire Zone Foundation acting chief executive Abdullah Nasser Al-Nuaimi, Minister of Municipality Abdullah bin Hamad Al-Attiyah, and Yasser bin Abdullah Al-Jamal, undersecretary of the Ministry of Sports and Youth.
The programme featured 11 activity stations run by Aspire Academy’s sports and football departments, allowing participants to assess physical abilities such as reaction speed, shooting accuracy, sprinting, vertical jump, flexibility and agility. A “Think and Move” corner was also introduced, combining mental and physical exercises aimed at enhancing cognitive skills.
“This event is a key milestone in the academy’s calendar and reflects our commitment to promoting a healthy lifestyle and encouraging community participation in sport,” Munira Mohammed Hammam, acting director of marketing and communications at Aspire Academy, said.
She added that the initiative allows direct engagement with the public while showcasing the academy’s training programmes and the role of talent scouts in identifying promising young athletes.
Participants received performance cards and completion certificates, while standout performers were awarded a “Golden Card”, offering an opportunity to join Aspire Academy’s youth talent programmes.
“Previous editions have seen several Golden Card holders progress into our youth teams, and we hope these events will help discover future student-athletes,” said Peter Schomale, head athletics coach and a member of the academy’s talent scouting team.
As part of the celebrations, Aspire Academy also organised a Sports Day football tournament for players born in 2018, featuring teams from 10 clubs across the Qatar Stars League and the first and second divisions.
Al Arabi were crowned champions after defeating Al Ahli 2-1 in the final, while Al Sadd finished third with a 2-1 win over Al Gharafa. Mohammed Abbas of Al Markhiya was named best player, while Jawad Mohammed of Al Ahli won the best goalkeeper award. Several standout players were invited to join the academy’s under-2018 team.
Aspire Academy said the Sports Day activities underlined its long-term vision of promoting a sporting culture, encouraging community engagement and supporting the discovery and development of future champions.
