Joey Aguilar

Indoor sports and recreational activities in Qatar have become increasingly popular among residents as the FIFA World Cup 2022 in the country draws near, according to Bench Perlas men’s volleyball team founder Jonar R Paz.
While indoor sports can be played year-round, Paz told Gulf Times that the football fever - due to hosting such a prestigious tournament this year - has enticed many enthusiasts to become active.
He said an increasing number of nationals from various expatriate communities have engaged in indoor physical activities such as volleyball, sepak takraw, badminton, basketball, bowling, and table tennis.
“We witnessed many residents participating in various local competitions in Doha and we hope to see more tournaments taking place in the lead-up to the World Cup and beyond,” Paz said, as he lauded the country’s state-of-the-art facilities such as the Qatar Sports Club, Aspire Zone, and the Ali Bin Hamad Al Attiya Arena, among other locations.
The group was established in 2018 to build camaraderie among members while raising awareness on the importance of sports in achieving work-life balance. Bench Perlas is now one of the most active teams in the Filipino volleyball community in Doha, attracting other nationalities to participate as well.
With the growing popularity of indoor sports in Qatar, Paz expressed optimism that more inter-community competitions in Qatar will be organised in the near future. This, he added, will further attract more people to join and be physically fit, in addition to inspiring others to live a healthy lifestyle.
He said these sports events and tournaments bring together enthusiasts in the country every weekend, allowing them to play with compatriots and other nationalities.
According to Paz, the recently concluded Season 13 of Pinoy Volleyball of Qatar witnessed more than 40 teams (men and women) participating. He looks forward to seeing more teams in Season 14, set to start on August 12.
Like volleyball, it is learnt that venues of other indoor sports across Qatar have become busy with the influx of players, particularly in the afternoon and the weekends.
According to Pinoy Basketball of Qatar, it is witnessing a surge in the number of players and enthusiasts who want to join the leagues not only since the easing of Covid-19 restrictions but also due to the hosting of the FIFA World Cup in Qatar.