13 May 2019 – Doha, Qatar:
For the eighth consecutive year and as part of the Ramadan Sports Festival organised by Aspire Zone Foundation (AZF), a table tennis tournament has been held for disabled individuals.
This tournament, held in cooperation with Qatar Paralympic Committee, is the only one of its kind happening in Qatar during the holy month of Ramadan. 45 participants took part, who were divided into four various categories: hearing, Motor, vision and mental impairments.
Abdulrahman Al-Naggar in our hearts
Prior to the start of the event participants gathered to pray for Aspire Academy graduate Abdulrahman Al-Naggar, who passed away last April. Abdulrahman was one of the participants of the table tennis tournament last year, where he played an honorary match.
After three hours of competing, first place winners were Salem Nasser from the Motor impairment group, Mustafa Amin in the hearing disability group, Hamad Ali Al Marri from the visual disability team and Salman Al-Sharshani in the mental disability group.
The winners were awarded their prizes by the Chairman of the Organising Committee of the Aspire Ramadan Sports Festival, Mr. Abdullah Aman Al Khater and the manager of the tournament, Hussain Al-Haddad, from the Qatar Paralympic Committee.
Al-Saffar: Aspire’s gates are open to everyone, especially the disability challengers
Following the award ceremony, Noof Al-Saffar, a member of the organising committee of the festival, said: “This event holds a special place in the heart of Aspire Zone after it became one of our fixed events for the Ramadan sporting calendar. As Aspire Zone, we are looking to engage all community members in sport, regardless of their skills and disabilities. I would also like to thank Qatar Paralympic Committee for their support and cooperation over the past few years. Finally, I would like to say that the doors of Aspire Zone are wide open for all, and especially members of the public with special needs.”
Al-Haddad: We are seeking to engage more disabled players in the table tennis activities in the upcoming years
"For the eighth consecutive year, we have organised a table tennis championship for disabled people, and this year's tournament is noticeable for the larger number of individuals participating. The vision loss team comprised of 14 players, the hearing disability group had 8 players, the mental disability group 12 players, the motor disability group came with 3 players and we welcomed 6 players who are in wheelchairs. In conclusion, I hope that in the years to come, we engage more and more disabled players in our table tennis activities.”
Al-Adaam grabs the winner of the Ladies’ Handball Tournament
At the Aspire Ladies Sports Hall, the Al-Adaam team succeeded in securing first place in the Women's Handball Championship, organised by AZF in cooperation with the Qatar Women's Sports Committee. Al-Majd came second and the Hands Up team came third.
The winners were awarded their prizes by Mrs. Maha Al-Abd Al-Jabbar, Assistant Secretary of the Qatari Women's Sports Committee and Mrs. Aisha Bu Jassum, member of the Organising Committee of the Festival.
Volley Beast wins the Men’s Volleyball Tournament
In Aspire Dome, the Men's Volleyball Tournament ended with Volley Beast securing first place, while Madina Doha came second, and Perfect Food came third.
Mr. Abdullah Aman Al Khater, Chairman of the Organising Committee of the Festival and Mr. Nasser Abdullah Al Hajri, Director of PR and Communications at AZF, honoured the winners. Furthermore, the Fitness Challenge for boys and girls and the Hockey Competitions concluded.
The Men's Football Tournament ended on Monday night, while the five-day Men's Basketball Competition has begun. The three-day Women's Basketball Competition will begin on Tuesday.
This year, the Ramadan Sports Festival is sponsored by Saleh Al Hamad Al Mana Co, Aseel Water and EsQalar Sports.