Aspire Zone's Ramadan Sports Festival reflect Qatar's commitment to gender equality

While the participation of Qatar's first female athlete at the London 2012 Olympics has attracted global attention, back in Doha the Aspire Zone Foundation's Ramadan Sports Festival has been attracting strong local participation.

The festival has grown considerably since the inaugural event in 2011 with this year's edition including a collection of women's sports. The three-week event now includes men's football, men's basketball, women's basketball, women's squash, and women's volleyball.

An Aspire Zone spokesperson explains "the additions are a testament to the rise in interest women's sports in Qatar and a demonstration of Aspire Zone's ongoing commitment to encourage female members of the public to take part in sporting activities.

Matches will be staged across the Aspire Zone precinct including the Outdoor Pitches and the Outdoor Warm Up Track facility (men's football), Aspire Dome (men's basketball), and the Ladies Sports Hall and Ladies Club (women's basketball, volleyball, and squash).

Rising to international prominence through successful staging of 2006 Asian Games, the Aspire Zone Foundation is home to some of the world's finest sport stadia and venues offering a stimulating combination of sport, sports medicine and research, and sport education.

Originally having been established in 2003 as a Sports City project, Aspire Zone Foundation has carried on to evolve and today works to develop sports champions, promote healthy lifestyles and galvanize the sports economy of today, and of the future, through a network of special business units: Aspire Academy for Sports Excellence, ASPETAR, and Aspire LOGISTICS.

Aspire Zone Foundation was voted the World's Leading Sports Tourism Development Project for the World Travel Awards 2011.

The Ramadan Sports Festival will continue through to the end of Ramadan on or around 18th August 2012.

Ramadan, the Islamic Holy month, requires all observant Muslims to fast during daylight hours.

For more information go to www.aspirezone.qa/home/index.aspx

13th January 2012 - QATAR’S ASPIRE ZONE NAMED WORLD’S LEADING SPORTS TOURISM DEVELOPMENT PROJECT

31st March 2010 - NEW ONLINE GUIDE LAUNCHED FOR ‘HALAL’ TRAVELLERS