Representational image
Doha: Navigating the new normal means assimilating ways of carrying out day to day activities or perhaps annual events. As Qatar celebrated the National Sport Day (NSD) 2021, the global health challenge further resonates as this year’s event was held virtually for the first time.
The NSD is held annually on the second Tuesday in February, with the primary objective of promoting a healthy lifestyle. The first National Sport Day was held in 2012.
Due to the recent increase in COVID-19 cases, the National Sports Day Committee, alongside the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH), had announced that all sports activities this year would be individual only, such as running, swimming, and cycling. It added that sports that require physical contact are not allowed, and sports in which several teams compete in a limited space were also not permitted, in addition to not allowing public attendance in places of sports activities during Sport Day. In response, public and private agencies have encouraged citizens and residents to exercise individually but can share their NSD activities on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
The Qatar Olympic Committee, Qatar University, Qatar Foundation, Qatar Sports For All shared activities of participants online and held sessions highlighting the importance of an active lifestyle. On the other hand, Aspire Academy posted videos by professionals showing exercises that can conveniently be done at home.
Meanwhile, for some residents, the NSD being virtual this year further buttresses the need for people to adhere strictly to COVID-19 preventive measures. “I didn’t think we’d still be battling the pandemic at this time,” Mahmud Abdulrahman, a resident, told The Peninsula.
“When we went into lockdown last year, it was a challenge, and then Qatar was able to mitigate the pandemic's impact successfully."
“Since the vaccine came out, I believed everything would be back to pre-pandemic days. I feel people should be more responsible and adhere to the measures set out by the authorities,” Abdulrahman added.
Yesterday, Qatar recorded over 400 new COVID-19 cases. The increase in infections has been consistent, and the authorities had earlier said more restrictions would be introduced if the numbers continued to rise.
“I am happy the government continued the National Sport Day tradition. It could have been easy to cancel it and not even consider virtual interactions. The continuation gives a sense of comfort and assurance that we’ll get through the pandemic,” Ushie John said.
