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His Highness Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Dubai Sports Council (DSC), has hailed the phenomenal growth achieved by the sports sector in Dubai.
Chairing a meeting of the Dubai Sports Council’s Board of Directors, Sheikh Mansoor said that Dubai’s ability to register remarkable growth year after year is thanks to the unwavering support, empowering directives and visionary leadership of a government that is focused on the welfare of its people.
His Highness highlighted the positive impact of a supportive legislative framework, excellent living standards,and a growing interest in sports at various levels, including in the coaching, business, and investment aspects, as manifested in the 788 new work permits granted to various agencies and companies.
Sheikh Mansoor acknowledged the rising number of enterprises linked to sports and the impressive participation in various events,in addition to the growing pool of players registered at various clubs. “The training camps held in recent months confirm that we are on the right path to achieve the Dubai Sports Council’s strategic objectives that are in keeping with the strategic objectives of the Dubai Government,” he said after the meeting.
“It is worth noting that 788 new permits have been issued to enterprisesin various spheres related to sports, and the number of training camps for international teams and local outfits within Dubai has increased to more than 200 across various sports alongside a stupendous growth in the number of participants in sports events organised by the Dubai Sports Council,” His Highness added.
Collaborative Approach
The DSC works in close cooperation with private sector entities and its efforts have yielded solid results, spurring the involvement and engagement of more than 2.731 million participants across all age groups and nationalities in events conducted by the Council.Of these, more than 200,000 were male and female students who participated in tournaments and events dedicated for schools, while events organised by private sports organisations in collaboration with the Council garnered more than 80% of the total share.
Additionally, the number of players participating in various sporting events registered annually in Dubai clubs has risen to more than 5,000, a figure that includes male and female athletes.
Sheikh Mansoorsaid that Dubai continued to attract international talent with its capacity to organiseworld-class sports tournaments and events. “Of the total 480 events organised this season, we had an amazing 106 tournaments that exclusively involved international teams. There was an equal focus at the local level too as the number of licensed and classified fitness centres in Dubai rose to 338.
“We have been working to have qualified and specialised cadres who can step up in sports centres and clubs, and in penal institutions. More than 100 inmates from these institutions have completed training and gained qualification toplay varied roles in the sports sector,” he added.
Optimal Resource Utilisation
His Highness also called on clubs to intensify efforts to identify and support talented people to enable the smooth and efficient running of sports bodies, while simultaneously raising the level of performance across various sports. He also directed clubs to strive for improvements in their administrative systems in cooperation and coordination with the DSC so that sports bodies at the grassroots would be able to further contribute to achieving optimal investment of human and financial resources.
The Council also congratulated Shabab Al Ahli Club for their comeback 2-1 win against Qatar League Champions Al Duhail to clinch the inaugural UAE-Qatar Football Super Shield recently. Al Ain Sports Club also came in for praise after their aggregate 5-4 win over Saudi club Al Hilalto reach the AFC Champions League finallate on Tuesday.
Sheikh Mansoor emphasised that development is a steady and incremental process. “Development does not stop with winning a specific local or regional championship but, rather, continues when everyone pushes towards future goals while evaluating them against current achievements. We are always keen to assess the extent of our success in achieving our goals and implementing our plans that aim to live up to the immense support given by the leadership to the sporting sector,” he said.
“We are here for the sake of the athletes. We are here to provide these athletes with the means to achieve goals,be it in terms of stirring a passion for sports, empowering others to pursue their dreams, or identifying and nurturing talented individuals, besides ensuring that real talent bears fruit by finding its rightful place on the podium,” he added.
The meeting held at the DSC’s headquarters was attended by His Excellency Mattar Al Tayer, Vice Chairman of Dubai Sports Council; His Excellency Lieutenant General Abdullah Khalifa Al Marri, member of the Board of Directors; Her Excellency Maryam Al Hammadi, along with other members including Sami Al Qamzi, Jamal Al Marri, Hala Badri, Moza Al Marri, as also Saeed Hareb, Secretary-General of the Council; and Nasser Aman Al Rahma, Assistant Secretary-General of the Council.
Forward Planning
His Excellency Ahmed Al Shafar, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Hamdan Sports Complex, also gave a presentation on the work of the Board and all that has been accomplished so far in various fields. He also briefed the meeting on the portfolio of events, training camps and various sports tournaments that the complex will be hosting in the near future.
Last year, the Hamdan Sports Complex hosted 60 international camps, and all efforts are on to secure still greater success considering that international teams are nearing the end of their preparations for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games later this summer.
Upcoming Event Preparations Reviewed
Towards the latter stage of the meeting, the Board of Directors also reviewed the list of prestigious upcoming sporting events including the ongoing Gulf Youth Games - UAE 2024, the Dubai Esports and Games Festival, and the annual Al Gaffal Dhow Sailing Race.Hosted by the UAE, the First Gulf Youth Games kicked off on April 16 and will conclude on May 2. It features the participation of 3,500 athletes competing in 24 disciplines under the theme ‘Our Gulf is One…Our Youth are Promising’.
That aside, the Asian U-20 Athletics Championships is being held in Dubai until April 27, while the third edition of the Dubai Esports and Games Festival, which got underway on April 19, is to continue until May 5. The annual Al Gaffal Dhow Sailing Race from Sir Bu Na’air Island to Dubai is slated for May 11.
Also scheduled to be held in the summer is the popular Dubai Sports World at the Dubai World Trade Centre from June 22 to September 8, the ‘Dubai Pro Body building Championship’ scheduled to be held from July 27-28 and the hugely popular DXB Snow Run 2024 at Ski Dubai on May 19.
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