Curtains go up on Aspire International Kite Festival
Doha, Qatar: The Aspire Zone Foundation (AZF) welcomed 200 students from government and private schools across Qatar on Wednesday to the third edition of the Aspire International Kite Festival where they attended workshops on kite making, held under the supervision of talented kiters.
The schools that participated during the first day of the festival Al Huda, Nusseibeh, and Al Israa Primary Independent Schools for Girls, Vision and GEMS international schools.
For the third consecutive year, the Secretary of the International ASEAN Kite Council, Gadis Widiyati, delivered the workshops and the training sessions. These aim to enhance the interest of kite making and kite flying amongst the citizens of Qatar by leveraging the expertise and inspirational stories of kiting experts from the region and abroad.
Commenting on her participation for the third time, Widiyati said that the Festival has become one of the most popular regional popular events in a short period: “From the very first day, this year we have seen an impressive level of interest among students that are keen to discover a new talent, develop their creativity and enjoy themselves. Of course, it’s not only for children – adults too can and should come and try their hand at something new.”
The organising committee of the festival organised a wide array of competitions with four award categories for students: The Best Design and Innovation Award, The Biggest Kite Award, the Longest Kite Award, and the Best National Flag Award.
Commenting on her school’s participation in the Festival’s morning session, Jessica from GEMS school said, “The children enjoyed their time here and were thrilled by the workshops. This type of event is a source of inspiration to learn new hobbies.”
Every year, the festival attracts media representatives from across Qatar. Famous Al-Kass TV reporter, Khaled Jassem, who attended this year’s event, said: “I’m thrilled to see the kites are back in Aspire for the third time and I’m glad to see even more visitors this year.”
Jassem also acknowledged the smooth organisation of festival and its warming ambience, which have made it a firm favourite among families: “It is an innovative event that encourages children to practice a useful outdoor hobby. It also opens doors to photography enthusiasts, who can take part in the photography competitions.”
This year's festival is sponsored by The Cultural Village Foundation- Katara, Ooredoo, Qatar Airways, Dolphin Energy, Kidzania and Al-Salam group.
