Tribune News Network

Doha

University of Doha for Science and Technology (UDST) is celebrating the FISU International Day of University Sport and its Healthy Campus Platinum Award with a series of fun and engaging sports activities that will run for one week across the campus.

The university’s community will have the chance to participate in several activities focused on well-being, physical activity and a healthy lifestyle.

The celebration, which started on September 18, will run until September 22, 2022 and includes fitness classes, campus-wide warm-ups, friendly basketball, football, volleyball, cricket matches, and more.

The event will also witness ‘Fun Olympics’ encouraging students to participate in teams that represent their countries. These teams will enter a challenge filled with a variety of fun and engaging games with the objective of being crowned as the Best Country on the Day.

The Sports Week will be concluded with a Kick-Off of the ‘World Cup’ themed UDST Annual Futsal Tournament.

Commenting on the initiative, Dr Salem Al Naemi, president of UDST, said: "We are a proud member organisation of the International University Sports Federation (FISU) and it is our pleasure to be celebrating the International Day of University Sport and our platinum label in the world-class facilities that our campus boasts. Today, on the verge of the most prestigious tournament in the world, the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, we are presenting sport as a platform for our students to come together, have fun and develop.

"Sport is part of every culture, it is a powerful tool that fosters collaboration, positivity, performance and engagement. Sport plays a major role in the Qatar National Vision 2030 and as a national university, we aim to support our nation’s vision through many ambitious initiatives that will achieve economic and human development.”

Recently, University of Doha for Science and Technology was granted the Healthy Campus Platinum Label by the International University Sports Federation. UDST is the first university in the MENA region to earn this label.

The selection criteria were based on six main domains that are Physical Activity and Sport, Nutrition, Disease Prevention, Mental and Social Health, Risk Behaviour, Environment Sustainability and Social Responsibility.

As part of the FISU network, UDST will be promoting the International Day of University Sport (IDUS) on September 20, a day that was officially proclaimed by the United Nations Education, Science and Culture Organization (UNESCO).

Through this event, FISU aims to exchange ideas, best practices, challenges and opportunities within and through university sport worldwide. IDUS presents an opportunity to share knowledge on key issues relating to the development of sport and the University Sports Movement worldwide, and to improve awareness of the importance of sport in educational institutions.