2,000 Runners to Take Part in National Reading Program’s Marathon Held on Sidelines of 53rd Edition of Cairo Int’l Book Fair
Sobhy: The Marathon conforms with the ministry’s objectives as well as its ambitious plan that targets promoting the youth’s sports and intellectual skills.
Sangary: Holding the marathon, alongside the Cairo Book Fair, targets instilling the love of reading in a way that widens the youth’s cultural scopes in different fields in order to achieve progress in production and innovation.
The National Reading Programme (NRP), affiliated to The Research Science Institute (Egypt – Dubai), will hold a marathon on the sidelines of the 53rd edition of the Cairo International Book Fair. Held under the auspices of the Ministry of Youth & Sports, the marathon will take place in four Egyptian governorates to boost the habit of reading among the Egyptian youth across the main regions in the country.
His excellency Dr. Ashraf Sobhy, Minister of Youth & Sports will be on top of the prominent attendees of the marathon along with Mr. Hisham al-Sangary, Head of Educational Projects in Egypt and North Africa at the National Reading Program, the governors of the four governorates, leading figures from both Ministry of Youth & Sports and Ministry of Education, in addition to representatives from Al Azhar Al Sharif.
Around 2,000 runners will participate in the marathon, which stretches out for four kilometers and lasts for around two hours in each governorate. It’s scheduled to take place in specific venues across the four governorates including; Arab International Scout Center in Cairo, the avenue of sphinxes in Luxor, Sporting Station in Alexandria and Osmathon Sporting Club in Ismailia.
In this context, H.E. Dr. Ashraf Sobhy commanded the idea of organizing a marathon on the sidelines of the Cairo International Book Fair, saying: “The National Reading Program’s marathon conforms with the ministry’s objectives as well as its ambitious plan that targets promoting the youth’s sports and intellectual skills. This helps create a knowledgeable generation that empowers Egypt to achieve cultural entrepreneurship locally and internationally.” He went on saying that both the marathon and the book fair work simultaneously to provide a sound mind in a healthy body.
Meanwhile, Hisham al-Sangary hailed the cooperation with the ministry, saying: “Developing skills of the youth as well as instilling the love of reading comes on top of the National Reading Program’s priorities. Holding the marathon is one of the ways to encourage the youth to attend the Cairo International Book Fair, in order to widen their creative and cultural scopes and reinforce their knowledge in various fields. This would help provide a society that learns, thinks, creates and produces in a way that conforms with Egypt’s 2030 Vision.”
Moreover, Sangary indicated the importance of highlighting such ambitious efforts, which would result in a renaissance through making reading on top of the different categories’ priorities. “This will contribute to creating a generation that is proud of its affiliation, and hence achieve sustainable knowledge,” he explained.
It’s noteworthy to mention that it’s the first marathon to be organized by the NRP this year, and it plans to hold it on annually. All the essential precautionary measures will be taken to combat the coronavirus outbreak through providing face masks and sanitization tools. An ambulance will be available throughout the marathon.
About National Reading Programme:
It is a sustainable competing project that aims at encouraging Egyptian kids and youths to embrace critical creative functional reading, enabling them to acquire, apply and produce new knowledge towards a community that learns, thinks and innovates. The programme also targets thriving with Arabic language. NRP is organized in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and Al Azhar Al Sharif, and in alignment with the Ministry of Higher Education, the Ministry of Culture and Egyptian Knowledge Bank. Accordingly, to an initial plan, the project will continue for ten years, with half a billion Egyptian pounds investment, divided into EGP 50 million each year.
About Emirate’s Research Science Institute:
It is a cultural educational institution that invests in developing generations through innovative evidence-based programs. Since its inception in 1998, the institute has prioritized encouraging reading supported by decades of hands-on experience in establishing standards, planning, organizing, coordinating, training and judging. Building on its esteemed expertise in the management of such projects, Research Science Institute strives to enrich national reading programs and educational projects.