On Sunday, the Amiri Diwan declared Tuesday, 9 February, as an official holiday on the occasion of the National Sports Day (NSD), which is marked annually on the second Tuesday of February. In an earlier statement, the NSD committee, in coordination with the Ministry of Public Health, had listed the amendment of the conditions and guidelines for the activities and sporting events of the NSD to be held on Tuesday.

Based on the decisions of the Cabinet with regard to the plan to re-instate COVID-19 precautionary measures to prevent the spread of the disease in the interest of community safety, it was decided that only individual sports activities, such as running, swimming and cycling, would be allowed this year. 

Further, the NSD committee added that sports requiring physical contact, including ball matches, and sports in which several teams compete in a limited space will not be allowed, in addition to restricting public attendance in places of sports activities during Sports Day.

The committee further stated that all sports activities must take place outdoors and no indoor sports are allowed. Additionally, the holding of sporting events in schools and clubs are prohibited. 

The NSD committee has instructed all members of society, practicing sports, to commit to taking precautionary measures, such as wearing masks, except for the time of practicing sports activities, stressing that a thermal examination must be conducted for sports’ practitioners upon entering any area to practice and to prevent the participation of those whose temperature is above 37.8 C. The sports’ practitioners are required to have a green color ETHERAZ application. 

The committee has discouraged the non-immune groups, including people over the age of 60 years, from attending places of sports activities for the sake of their safety. The committee further stressed that meals can be provided in public places adhering to the guidelines of the Ministry of Public Health and restaurants are required to abide by the recent protocols that were reinstated. 

Qatar NSD highlights the importance of sports with its moral and human values, and health benefits. Additionally, it also educates citizens and residents of the importance of sports in daily life, encouraging them to practice it throughout the year.