10 Feb 2026
Aspire Academy continued its tradition of celebrating Qatar’s National Sport Day as it welcomed over a thousand visitors to take part in its activities at its event in Aspire Park. The event was part of the events organised by Aspire Zone Foundation (AZF).
People of all ages from around Doha came to visit the Academy’s annual event, which featured a series of Test Yourself challenges set up by Aspire Academy’s coaches.
Joining the members of the public to enjoy the Aspire Academy events was His Excellency Mr. Hassan bin Abdulla Al-Ghanim, the Speaker of the Shura Council. AZF's Acting CEO Abdullah Nasser Al-Nuaimi also visited the Aspire Academy celebrations.
The Minister of Municipality, H.E. Abdullah bin Hamad bin Abdullah Al Attiya, and the Undersecretary at the Ministry of Sport and Youth, H.E. Yasser bin Abdullah bin Ahmed Al‑Jamal, were among the other VIP visitors.
The 11 different stations, organised by the Academy’s Sports and Football Departments, offered participants of all ages the chance to test their athletic abilities.
These activities included tests of reaction time, shooting accuracy, speed, vertical jump, flexibility and agility.
Muneera Mohammed Hammam, Aspire Academy’s Acting Director of Marketing and Communications, explained why the celebrations are a key date on the Academy’s calendar.
“There are several reasons why Aspire Academy sees this as a crucial event every year and why we are delighted to welcome so many visitors,” she said.
“This is part of our commitment to promote a healthy lifestyle in Qatar and encourage people to be active to help both their physical and mental well-being.”
“It also offers us a chance to showcase what Aspire Academy is all about and what we do every day with our coaches, who get the opportunity to share their knowledge and expertise with the public.”
“In addition, it provides our scouts from both the Sports and Football Departments to spot potential stars of the future that we can invite to join our different pre-academy programmes.”
“Finally, it is all about having fun with sport and enjoying it, no matter your skill level. It’s always a pleasure to see so many people of different ages, from toddlers to adults, taking part.”
Each participant received a card to record their results and a certificate of completion at the end to recognise their achievement.
Several of those who took part and showed remarkable potential were offered a “Golden Ticket” in recognition of their exceptional achievements. These awards offer the recipients the chance to join Aspire Academy’s Pre-Academy Athletics Programme to develop their skills further.
The “Golden Ticket” scheme is now in its third year, and Peter Skoumal, Lead Athletics Coach at Aspire Academy, who is part of the talent spotting team, says it is proving a useful tool for his team.
“Several of the youngsters who have been given Golden Tickets have not only taken advantage of the opportunity to try out with our Pre-Academy Athletics Programme but gone one step further and are now part of the Pre-Academy training team,” he explained.
“It bodes very well for the future, and our big hope is that in the future, this event will uncover someone who will go on to be a full-time student-athlete at Aspire Academy.
There was also an opportunity to test their cognitive abilities in the "Think & Move" segment. These challenges offered participants the chance to engage in exercises that combined mental agility with physical movement.
Aspire Academy also hosted a National Sport Day Football Tournament featuring talented young players born in 2018 from 10 clubs in the first and second divisions of the Qatar Stars League (QSL).
The final of the tournament saw the winners of Group B, Al-Arabi, edging out Group A winners Al-Ahli 2-1 to lift the trophy. There was also a close game in the third-place play-off with Al Sadd beating Al-Gharafa 2-1.
As well as the team trophies and medals, there were also awards for the Tournament’s Best Player, which Al Markhiya’s Mohammed Abbas won, while the award for Best Goalkeeper went to Al-Ahli’s Jawad Mohammed.
Some of the most promising players at the competition have also been invited to join the Aspire Academy elite 2018 feeder team.
Aspire Academy’s celebration of Qatar National Sport Day once again underscored its dedication to fostering a culture of sports excellence and community involvement.
By providing a platform for youth to showcase their talents and experience professional-level training, Aspire Academy continues to inspire and nurture the next generation of athletes in Qatar.