Qatar Shell and Qatar Football Association to host Koora Time sports event to mark National Sport Day

Feb 05, 2020

To mark National Sport Day, Qatar Shell and Qatar Football Association (QFA) are teaming up once again to organise a myriad of family-oriented activities at Katara Cultural Village as part of the award-winning Koora Time programme. Running from 7am to 5pm on February 11, the event will offer families the opportunity to participate in a variety of football and fitness activities for all age groups in a fun and non-competitive environment.

Doha, Qatar - Andrew Faulkner, Managing Director and Chairman of Qatar Shell Companies, said: “We are delighted to once again invite the local community to join us at our highly anticipated National Sport Day celebrations. By engaging youth and their families in football activities, we are delivering on our long-term commitment to promoting the adoption of an active and healthy lifestyle among Qatar’s youth.”

As part of National Sport Day activities, Koora Time coaches will be organising training sessions and football matches, including one dedicated to children aged 12 and under. Our programme will also include an Aerobics Zone, where 30-minutes fitness classes will take place throughout the day, including Pilates, Martial Arts, Zumba, Yoga, Boot Camp and HIIT.

Other child-oriented activities include Panna Cage, a mini football match played in an octagonal shaped field; and Football Darts, a one player game where the player kicks Velcro balls with the aim of hitting the bullseye. To add to this, the Amir Cup trophy tour is expected to kick-off at Koora Time’s NSD event, where the trophy will be on display.

Khalid Mubarak Al-Kawari, Director of Marketing and Communication, QFA said: “This year’s National Sport Day celebrations provide an opportunity to further expand Koora Time’s reach, and to raise awareness about one of our most successful and longest-running initiatives in partnership with Qatar Shell, an organisation with whom we share the key objective of promoting a healthy lifestyle in the Qatari community”.

Based on FC Barcelona Foundation’s FutbolNet methodology, Koora Time offers children 72 hours of extra-curricular physical education in an 18-week period. Last year’s season saw a reduction in Body Mass Index (BMI) of 95% of participants while 50% of the programme’s participants are girls, reflecting the positive role of women in sport and further supporting female empowerment in Qatar.

With the aim of improving the health and wellbeing of young people in Qatar through football and contributing to the Social Development pillar of the Qatar National Vision 2030, Koora Time has been a resounding success in Qatar, securing an impressive 12 awards since its inception almost a decade ago.

To find out more about Koora Time, or to register your child for the award-winning and impactful programme, please visit www.kooratime.qa.

About Koora Time:

An eight-year sustainable initiative between Qatar Football Association (QFA) and Qatar Shell, Koora Time is designed to improve the health and wellbeing of Qatar’s youth through football.

This initiative aims to facilitate access to more football in a non-competitive environment, supporting an active and healthy lifestyle amongst the young people in Qatar. As part of the ten-year campaign, QFA and Qatar Shell will jointly organise and launch a series of youth engagement programmes using football as the platform.

Koora Time supports the Social and Human Development pillar of the Qatar National Vision 2030 and the National Development Strategy (NDS) through engaging the young people in Qatar at every stage of their lives with programmes tailored to them.

In recognition of its positive impact on the health of youth, Koora Time has been the recipient of numerous awards including the 2013 Guinness World Record for the Largest Ever -5A-Side Football Match, 2014 & 2016 ‘Sports Industry Award’ for Best CSR Initiative, the 2015 ‘CSR Award Qatar’ for Best CSR Impact Initiative, the 2014 ‘Dar Al Sharq Corporate Social Responsibility Award’ for the Best Sports Initiative, the 2014, 2016, 2017 & 2019 ‘AFC Dream of Asia Award’ in the area of social responsibility, the 2017 ‘QFA Awards’ for Best CSR Programme, the 2019 Best Community Programme in the Global Category Award and the 2019 International Excellence Award, in the Sports Sector, Community Commitment Category (12th koora time award).

About Qatar Football Association

The Qatar Football Association was established in the 1960’s; it is a pioneer among Qatari sports associations. QFA plays a pivotal role in laying the foundation for football in the state and is still the first to help advance the game and improve its level in Qatar, thus making the state a crucial player on the regional and international football scene.

Social responsibility is one of the key priorities of the Qatar Football Association (QFA). The purpose of engaging the society through various football-related programs has been well received by the public in recent years.

The QFA aims to strengthen the role of engaging the society through sports activities under the 2021 vision of the football ruling body.

The Qatar Football Association works on all levels of the football system to identify and develop young Qatari talents.

  • QFA bonds with the local society to promote the game and expand its fan-base in a systematic and methodical approach.
  • QFA aims to reinforce football professionalism by improving the existing infrastructure of the game.
  • The ruling authority is constantly striving to develop and harness young talent that could be the base for youth and senior outfits competing regionally, continentally and internationally.

For media inquiries, please contact:

Alex Trott
Email: Alex.Trott@shell.com