By Usha Wagle Gautam


More than 4,000 Nepalese expats attended the Qatar National Day celebrations at Barwa Workers Recreation Complex Industrial Area in Al Khor. The programme was organised by the Ministry of Interior.
The celebrations included a cultural programme, football, tug-of-war, volleyball and a cricket competition. The organisers had also set up a free health check-up camp.
The first performance at the cultural show was by Maharashtra Mandal, a dance sequence with an Arabic twist.
Rajeev Chandi performed a Hindi song. Musical band Singing Birds performed hit Hindi, Nepalese, Bhojpuri, Punjabi and Arabic songs. Singers Neharshi and Subash performed a melodious song. Child artiste Bishal Nehatma performed an Arabic dance.
The Al Khor International School presented five performances.
Members of the Nepalese community presented more than 10 performances at the programme.
The first performance was by schoolchildren clad in traditional Nepalese dresses. The Nepalese Magar Society performed an ethnic dance called Kauda. NCC artists performed played a patriotic number on their traditional Nepalese instruments, supporting vocalists Birendra Shrestha, Ashish Rijal and Krishna Upreti.
Dhankuta Service Society artiste Saruk Sundas performed a contemporary song. Iman Singh Thakuri caricatured birds, animals and machines. After that, NCC artistes performed the traditional Jhyaure dance. Miteri Films artiste Puspa BC danced on a Nepalese film song. Struggle Band performed a number of hit songs. Nawa Sangeetik performed a thematic show. Another bunch of NCC artistes performed a fusion Nepalese and Arabic dance. Kirat Rai Yokha Sakha performed Sakela and Chandi dances.
Kirat Yakthung Chumlung (KYC) performed Chambung and Bijuwo folk dances. KYC artists also performed to the tunes of Dholak, an ethnic percussion instrument. UNI dance group performed a dance on a remixed song, Tamang Society artistes performed a Tamang dance, artiste Rama Aryal sang Nepalese anthem and her daughter Rubina Aryal performed a Hindi movie dance.
A significant draw of the event was performances by Nepalese film actress Rupa Lama and Dubai-based singer Rekha Ghimire.
The thematic parade was won by the Al Khor Community organisation. They also won in the general song category. In the general show category, Al Khor International School stood first. In thematic show category, the Nepalese community came first.
The volleyball tournament was by KMCC. The tug-of-war competition was won by IFITNA Qatari Company. The football tournament was won by Med Gulf. The cricket tournament was won by Royal Tigers.