Qatar, Russia mark International Day of Sport for Development and Peace

(MENAFN - The Peninsula) The Peninsula On the occasion of the UN's International Day Of Sport For Development And Peace, which was recently celebrated globally during the first week of April, Qatar and Russia affirm their commitment to bilateral sports engagements between the two countries. In 2013, the United Nations chose this particular date because the first modern Summer Olympic Games were opened in Athens on 6 April 1896. The day is designed to raise awareness of the importance of sport and physical activity for education, human development, health and peace. The Embassy for The State of Qatar to the Russian Federation with the support of QR Sports, a subsidiary of the Qatari-Russian Centre for Cooperation (QRCC), celebrated Qatar's National Sport Day (QNSD) in Russia in February 2021. The initiative was hosted under the theme Team in Motion, which calls for the community to unite through sports despite challenges that humankind faces. With the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, accessing and enjoying sport has become difficult for most around the world. However, QR Sports' event for QNSD allowed the participants to overcome these challenges as there is no doubt that sport has always played an important role in every society, whether in the form of competition, physical activity or play. Renowned athletes like Olympic gold medal winners Nikita Nagorniy and Beslan Mudranov alongside with other prominent athletes from across the world participated in the event. The event was designed to help the community grow in four main areas: mindfulness, motion, inspiration and nutrition. The five-day event saw more than 12,000 total participants, that could attend offline sports such as yoga, trampolining and ice-skating as well follow online training and educational programs all through the website. QR Sports also collaborated with the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy alongside football stars Tim Cahill and Roman Pavlyuchenko who discussed playing in the Premier League, football knowledge, and the upcoming 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. They also discussed the importance of sport to the Qatari and Russian populations and the positive impact of the Qatar National Sports Day celebrations in Russia. Those attending had access to online classes such as Yoga with Olympic silver medallist and three-time world champion Nikita Nagorniy or practice their ice skating skills at the Taganskiy Park ice rink. All online classes are currently available to the public via @qnsd.ru on Instagram, where people from around the world can learn the tools to practice physical and mental well-being. 'Sport has the power to change the world. It is a fundamental right, a powerful tool to strengthen social ties and promote sustainable development and peace as well as solidarity, and respect. That was the aim of the QNSD event in Russia and we are incredibly proud of the outcome, Kirill Lata, Head of QR Sports, said in a statement. As consecutive host nations of the FIFA World Cup, Qatar and Russia have been a part of one of the biggest sporting events in the world, using their platforms to spread the message about the importance of sport in today's world in arenas of global harmony and sustainable development. As the host nation of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Qatar gave fans a taste of things to come in 2022 during the 2018 FIFA World Cup held in Russia. With exhibits like Qatar Elements, the world's first floating multimedia museum and Qatar-Russia portals, fans experienced Qatari culture and life first-hand. Since 2019, some of the biggest Russian football teams have also played the Match Premier Cup tournament in Qatar. Zenit St. Petersburg's U-17 team also participated in the Al Kass International Cup in 2020.MENAFN16042021000063011010ID1101926773