By Ramesh Mathew/Staff Reporter

The Katara Cultural Village was one of the popular venues for National Sport Day as large crowds made way to its beach area, where several activities were organised as part of the celebrations. Residents were seen participating in beach volleyball, football, basketball and yoga.
Among the companies, the Qatar General Electricity and Water Corporation (Kahramaa) hosted many activities there for its staffers and their family members.
Qatar Minister for Energy and Industry HE Dr Mohamed bin Saleh al-Sada, who was present at the opening of the celebrations, explained the significance of the event, considering Qatar being a major destination for international sporting events. As part of the inaugural, the minister received a football from one of the participants.
To drive home the message of fitness, organisers were seen making repeated appeals to the participants about the importance of developing a healthy lifestyle. Several speedboats sporting national colours could be sighted throughout the day from the beach. Apart from the refreshments, the organisers distributed T-Shirts and caps to a large number of visitors.
Many Qatari women participated in the cycling event along the more than 2km-long pathway at the Cultural Village. Long queues of vehicles, reminiscent of the National Day celebrations, could also be witnessed at the venue, which undoubtedly became the most sought-after destination for hundreds of residents from Doha and nearby areas.  
There were a large number of colourful tents at the venue and what was referred to as ‘healthy’ food and refreshments were served to the participants, many of them in athletic wear.