Aspire Zone Foundation
Doha, Qatar- The latest edition of Qatar Strongest Man (QSM) drew to a close last Friday, when thousands of fans watched a clash of the titans which saw Kenyan star Christopher Oketch win the crown of Qatar’s Strongest Man. He was joined on the winning podium by Egyptian Mohammed Dweidar (2nd) and Kenyan Joseph Iroo Ekadeli (3rd).
Every year, Aspire Zone Foundation (AZF) strives to make its Qatar Strongest Man (QSM) bigger and better, with an exceptional ambiance and higher standards.
Audiences
With more than 2,500 sports fans in attendance, the stands were packed with people and cheers, as eight of the brawniest men in Qatar tackled five mammoth challenges – each one demanding extraordinary strength and endurance.
The five challenges
The eight finalists went through intense challenges, including; Conan’s Wheel, where contestants lifted a 180kg bar on a rotating platform, followed by sand bag lifting that varied from 90kg and 110kg and a 120kg Giant Tyre Flipping, continuing the competition with a Farmer’s Walk while lifting 90kg on each arm. The last challenge was pulling a 6-tonne truck.
Healthy meals and training are from Oketch’s secrets
Kenyan Chrsitopher Oketch, who weighs 120kg and above, stated that he has been physically ready for this competition for about two months, commenting: “I thank all those who supported me from my family, fans and organizers at Aspire Zone Foundation, and I would like to mention that you can be the hero if you follow a healthy lifestyle and pursue your goals. I look forward to participate in next year’s competition.”
Al-Khater: QSM has become a forum for strength and endurance
Commenting on the thrilling contest, Mr. Abdullah Aman Al-Khater, Director of Events and Venues at AZF, said: “QSM’s ever-increasing popularity inspires everyone in the Foundation to take the competition to the next level every year. It has become a forum for strength and endurance for sports enthusiasts in Qatar.”
Safety first
To ensure that competitors remain safe throughout the intense competition, AZF has allocated a team made up of physiotherapists from Aspetar, the orthopaedic and sports medicine hospital in Qatar, and medics from the Qatar Red Crescent.
Fans in the stands
The fans were able to participate in a number of strength competitions, such as carrying sandbags and tyre lifting. Winners received financial awards from Sports Corner. On the side-lines of the competition, entertainment and food stalls were set-up for all family members.
Sponsors
This year's edition comes under the sponsorship of Sports Corner (Main sponsor), Ooredoo (Telecommunication sponsor), De Boer (Technical sponsors) and Kidzania (Event partner).
From inception and design, to delivery and build, the event has been managed to the highest international standards by AZF’s multidisciplinary team of local experts at Aspire Logistics. This year’s QSM stands as yet another example of AZF executing the best events for local community members and sports enthusiasts in Qatar.