Due to the ongoing pandemic, it was for the first time in many years that Ali Bin Ali (ABA) Holding was unable to organize an Olympic Day gathering. However, this did not dampen the spirits of the organizers as they planned an interesting twist and arranged for a virtual ABA Olympic Day 2021.
To keep the tradition of sports and fitness alive, the team set up exclusive live online fitness sessions in co-operation with the best instructors in town. Zoom meeting invites were sent out to all ABA staff members along with details about the sessions.
The morning of February 9, 2021 began with a lively Zumba session with Rachel Mitri who is a licensed Zumba instructor and has been teaching Zumba at Sheraton Doha since 2013. This was followed by a more rigorous HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) session with Victoria Sipco. A former international level athlete, Victoria made sure that the participants shed some serious sweat. The last and very relaxing session was Yoga with Carla El Ladki. A professional instructor, Carla combined Yoga with dance which made it an inspirational but fun session.
Defeating all odds, ABA Olympic Day 2021 turned out to be a fit and fun experience. ABA staff from different divisions joined in along with their kids and family, making the virtual gathering a perfect celebration for the occasion.
Speaking about the virtual event, the head of the ABA Olympic Day committee Mr. Mohammad Imran said: “ABA Olympic Day is part of our company identity and we did not want the COVID-19 pandemic to destroy that spirit. The virtual gathering and fitness session were the best way to continue the tradition of sports and fitness that ABA so strongly advocates. ABA staff members also welcomed the idea and we were happy to see the number of participants and their enthusiasm. I hope the pandemic ends soon and we can all gather physically to enjoy a bigger and better 2022 Olympic Day”