Algiers — Sporting events dominate Ramadan soirées all over the country. Many Algerians look forward to these evenings as a break from the monotony of the day.

In Bouira, thousands of young people benefited from the Ramadan sports programme.

One football tournament, which runs till Saturday (August 3rd), involves 1,250 competitors. Another football tournament among neighbourhoods involves 300 players.

A pétanque tournament for some 600 young men also continues through next week-end.

Some 40 young and adult amateur boxers, both male and female, participated in an event in Bouira.

Oran-based AS Radieuse on July 14th also launched the 15th round of the "Ramadan Foot" tournament.

The event aims to revitalise neighbourhood sports and get football-loving young people closer, organisers said.

A total of 650 players representing 64 teams from Oran, Laghouat, Medea, Mascara, Belabbes, Temouchent, Saida, Mostaganem, Chlef and elsewhere took part in week-long event.

"The step taken by our association through inter-neighbourhood tournaments has now been generalised everywhere in municipalities and neighbourhoods," AS Radieuse President Kada Chafi said.

Sporting events, however, are not Algerians' only distractions during the holy month.

The Oran-based Human Resources Development Institute (IDRH) launched a series of cultural and art programmes.

During Ramadan, the institute proposed various topics for discussion in the form of seminars and roundtables. It also organised musical soirées, Andalusian art and poetry shows.

In Tipaza, a series of concerts featuring committed religious songs will run until August 3rd, featuring local and national religious singers and bands.

The province's cultural directorate also organised a rich and varied programme for children, featuring local artists.

The Kouba municipality in Algiers presented a varied programme on Andalusian musical heritage.

"This national musical heritage is not restricted to a certain area, but everyone today is concerned with enriching and preserving it," Elmatrabia vice-president Ali Bellazrag said.

Souk Ahras theatre management drew up a programme for the month, featuring 43 theatrical shows for Ramadan. A number of cultural groups and seven regional theatres from Skikda, Batna, Eulma, Setif, Tizi Ouzou, Constantine and Guelma are participating.

A play - Contrat De Travail Indéterminé- was produced by the regional theatre of Skikda and presented at Souk Ahras theatre.

Directed by Omar Maiouf, the play addressed administrative corruption, bribery, and violations of human and moral values for personal gain.

In the eastern province of Annaba, 10 theatrical shows were scheduled for Ramadan, featuring regional theatres from Annaba, Skikda, Constantine and Tizi Ouzou, as well as several theatrical bands from Bordj Menail, Bordj Bouariridj, Algiers, Annaba, Constantine and Chlef.

The public in Annaba and adjacent areas also enjoyed the soirées of the 8th round of national festival of music and urban songs. Some 30 male and female singers took part.