Cricket and rugby added to Aspire Zone’s annual Ramadan Sports Festival

Aspire Zone Foundation (AZF) is back with its annual Ramadan Sports Festival and this time has included cricket and rugby to its agenda.

The two-week event will begin on June 10 and end on June 24 (5-19 Ramadan).

Registration for the event begins on May 5 and continues until the end of the month. Tournaments will take place throughout the week from 9.30pm until midnight. The winning candidates will get attractive prizes and gifts, reports The Peninsula.

The festival will be open to all men, women, children and persons with special needs.

Cultural activities at the traditional village, ‘Freej Aspire’, and religious sermons and lectures will also be held in partnership with Sheikh Thani Bin Abdullah Foundation for Humanitarian Services (RAF).

“The overwhelming response from the people to the festival in previous years has encouraged us continue our efforts and offer more activities to cater to the needs of the community,” said Abdullah Aman Al Khater, Chairman of the festival organising committee.

AZF will hold 13 sports events for men, women and children, including three newly-introduced sports.

The programme will also offer community members the opportunity to experience the Qatari cultural at Freej Aspire, which houses traditional games and shops.

Those interested in religious sermons will have access to lectures to be delivered by prominent scholars, in partnership with RAF.

Sport events for all ages and categories aim at stressing the importance of exercising and physical activity throughout the year.

The festival also aims at motivating sports and fitness enthusiasts to participate in Ramadan activities, taking into account their interests.

Male sports competitions will include basketball with 12 teams of eight players each for five days; football with 16 teams of 15 players each for eight days; volleyball with eight teams of nine players each for five days; and beach soccer with eight teams of as many players each for five days.

AZF has dedicated three days to tennis competitions for adult and young females, a Junior Futsal Competition and two tournaments for AZF staff in futsal for males and volleyball for females.

The multipurpose hall in Aspire Dome will also host a table tennis tournament in three categories for persons with special needs. The Rugby tournament will be participated by eight teams for 10 matches, while the cricket tournament will see six teams and nine matches over two days.

(Cover image courtesy: Stewart Lacey)