Business & Money | Friday 29 September, 2017 4:00 am |

As preparations begin in earnest for the only sports event in the Arab World exclusively for women, the Arab Women Sports Tournament (AWST) international committee members have debated some of the most important elements that go into making this the most exciting and competitive event of its kind in the region.

 

Among the main topics up for discussion were the technical and logistics tasks that must be undertaken in order for the 2018 edition, slated to kick-off in February 2-12 2018, to live up to resounding successes of the previous two tournaments.

The meeting, which was presided over by Her Excellency Sheikha Hayat bint Abdulaziz Al Khalifa, Chairperson of the Committee and Board Member of Bahrain’s National Olympic Committee, was attended by Her Excellency Nada Askar Al Naqbi, Director General of Sharjah Women Sports Foundation (SWSF), Saad bin Saleh Al Sufyani, Assistant Secretary General of the Union of Arab National Olympic Committees (UANOC), and a number of other members and officials in charge of organising and media committees.

 

The Sharjah initiative is widely accepted not only as promoting sporting excellence, it has also been praised for empowering Arab women in general and elevating their status as world-class athletes. AWST is organised and managed in accordance with all elements of international sporting standards, including rules, regulations, operations and procedures which have enhanced its profile as a truly transparent official event with governing sporting bodies.

As part of the vital initial preparations, the meeting included discussions surrounding the logistics and all technical aspects of tournament, ensuring a smooth execution to the new edition with a strategy that sustains AWST’s long-standing mission and vision, which is to support and represent every Arab woman in the local and regional sports industry.

 

The meeting also reviewed the reports of committees and technical regulations for the upcoming tournament that were submitted by the Union of Arab National Olympic Committees. It also touched on the issue of setting up the appeal committee, appointing a representative of the supervision committee in technical meetings and examining the physical capacity of female players as well as the date for the next meeting.

HE Sheikha Hayat bint Abdulaziz Al Khalifa said that every detail needed to be recognised and cooperation was vital to supporting the success of the event: “In all forms of international sport, there is enormous attention given to women’s participation and the ever-increasing importance of encouraging their participation is highly evident even at a grass roots level. That is one of the reasons why this tournament has been such a success and is such an inspiration to women and girls across the region who want to take part at the highest possible level against the best possible competition. This is an excellent arena for women in sport and a shining example of what can be achieved with cooperation, coordination and a sense of purpose.”

 

She continued: “This approach to developing the capabilities of women and young girls enhances not just athletic abilities, but also their self-confidence, ambition and sense of achievement.

She added: “The immense efforts and support of Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, wife of His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah, Chairperson of the Supreme Council for Family Affairs and Chairperson of SWSF, are both progressive and enlightening, strengthening the status of the sporting landscape for women in the UAE and the wider Arab world.”

She highlighted: “The emirate of Sharjah has always been a strong advocate of equality across all sectors of society and is not only a beacon of science, culture and knowledge, but also a catalyst for innovation.”  

From her part, HE Nada Askar Al Naqbi said: “This event illustrates the effectiveness of collective efforts by all the officials involved in organising this unique sporting event and gives us enormous motivation to keep raising the status of Arab women’s sport.”

 

She continued: “At each meeting, the members of administrative and organising committees show a greater sense of responsibility and continuously raise the tournament’s ambitions, which demonstrate the team spirit and determination to make this the most important event of its kind in the wider region.”

The meeting is one of a series planned by SWSF to continue achieve excellence in the next tournament.