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The Hamdan Sports Complex will be teeming with the continent's top teenaged fencers in the coming days as Dubai plays host to the Asian Junior and Cadet Fencing Championships from February 24 to March 4.
More than 800 fencers from 30 countries are expected to show up for the Under-16 (cadet) and Under-19 (junior) continental championships, which is being organised jointly by the UAE Fencing Federation and the Dubai Sports Council (DSC) under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the President of the National Olympic Committee.
The announcement was made at Monday's press conference at the Dubai Sports Council headquarters, with H.E. Sheikh Salem bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Founder and Chairman of the UAE Fencing Federation and a member of the UAE National Olympic Committee's Executive office, and HE Saeed Hareb, Secretary General of Dubai Sports Council, in attendance alongside the Assistant Secretary General of DSC, Nasser Aman Al Rahma.
Announcing the details of the event, Al Qasimi said this will be one of the biggest Asian Junior and Cadet Fencing Championships in history with a record number of fencers representing Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, China, Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Cambodia, Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Yemen, Australia, New Zealand, Vietnam and the UAE.
"First, on behalf of the UAE's fencing fraternity and the extended sports family, I would like to thank His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum for his generous patronage and support of the event," said Al Qasimi.
"This is the biggest Asian Junior and Cadet Championships in terms of both, the numbers of countries participating and the number of fencers. The benefits of organising such an event are twofold for us. First, our young and emerging fencers get the opportunity to compete and test their abilities against the best fencers of Asia. Second, hosting this championship will provide us with the experience of organising a major championship.
"What that does is, it gives us a generation of fencers who have the experience of competing on this stage, and a generation of organisers who know how to manage and organise such major fencing events.
"The tournament also presents a unique opportunity for the sport of fencing to spread its wings, and, on the organisation level, consolidate UAE and Dubai's position as one of the world's premier sporting destinations."
Speaking on the occasion, Mr Hareb said the Asian Junior and Cadet Fencing Championships will be a distinctive addition to the list of events hosted by Dubai and add to the diversity of Dubai Sports Council's sporting calendar, which seeks to cater to the sporting needs of all the nationalities living in the emirate.
"Fencing is a sport of great importance because it is part of the Olympic Games and we hope hosting this premier continental championship will inspire a large number of our young men and women to take up this sport, and they will be dreaming of flying the UAE flag at the Olympics and World Championships.
"Last year, we organised an international fencing tournament as part of the Nad Al Sheba Sports Tournament and a number of Arab and international stars, and Olympic champions participated. The tournament was a big success.
"There are other annual international fencing events held here that DSC support, and these tournaments regularly attract Olympic and World champions from different countries. So, in co-operation with the UAE Fencing Federation, we are doing our best to promote this sport and we are confident the fruits of efforts will be visible very soon."
Talking about the venue, Mr Hareb added: "Organising the tournament at the Hamdan Sports Complex will further enhance the competition as the Complex is one of the most beautiful sports facilities in the world."
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