From / Ahmed Mustafa..
ABU DHABI, 26th August / WAM / Between new sports leadership positions and being on the podiums, Emirati women continue to strengthen their position in the sports field, amid great and unlimited support in order to empower them and make them always at the forefront.
The annual celebration of Emirati Women’s Day represents a new symbol every year and a witness to the boom and qualitative shift witnessed by the position of women in the UAE at all levels, including the sporting level, within the framework of efforts to empower them at all levels, until they reached their current position thanks to the great support of the wise leadership, to become always on platforms Coronation and in the first ranks, according to clear and well-studied strategic plans.
Last March, Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Chairwoman of the General Women’s Union, Chairwoman of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood, and Supreme Chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation “Mother of the Nation”, was awarded the Order of Merit for Arab Women’s Sports for the year 2021.
The beginning of this year was a strong boost for Emirati women, with Sheikha Fatima bint Hazza bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chair of the Board of Directors of the Fatima Bint Mubarak Academy for Women’s Sports, Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the Fatima Bint Hazza Cultural Foundation, owner and founder of Al Shira’a Stables, member of the arbitration field for Arabian horses, the Women’s Award. The Arab Society for Social Responsibility for Leadership and Sports Excellence in the Arab World, which was presented by the Arab Council for Social Responsibility, under the auspices of the League of Arab States, for its role in the field of community leadership and sports excellence.
Major bodies and institutions carry the banner of developing and supporting Emirati sports, at the forefront of which is the Fatima Bint Mubarak Women’s Sports Academy, whose board of directors is chaired by Sheikha Fatima Bint Hazaa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who had the most prominent role in developing women’s sports and increasing female enrollment in various sports.
Emirati women’s sports also owe thanks to the Women’s Sports Committee of the Dubai Sports Council, which works hard to support women and encourage them to practice sports, and to organize many tournaments and tournaments for them.
The Sharjah Women’s Sports Foundation, headed by the wife of His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah, Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher bint Muhammad Al Qasimi, confirms the great interest in women’s sports and its support in all ways so that she is on the right path.
The last period witnessed Emirati women taking over the leadership of federations and sports bodies, after relying on them in the federations through membership of the board of directors to be a major shift in empowering Emirati women in the sports sector, which represents an important aspect alongside other sectors.
The presence of Emirati women at the head of federations and sports authorities was represented in the appointment of Dr. Mai Al Jaber as head of the National Anti-Doping Agency, Azza bint Suleiman as Assistant Secretary-General for Administrative and Financial Affairs at the National Olympic Committee, Noura Al Suwaidi at the presidency of the Emirates Federation for Women’s Sports, and Dr. Huda Al Matrooshi at the presidency of the Modern Pentathlon Federation And Noura Al Jasmi as the head of the Emirates Badminton Federation, and Amna Al Mazmi as the head of the Netball Federation.
Externally, Emirati women occupy many positions in the sports sector, as engineer Majd Al Balushi, member of the Board of Directors of the Emirates Table Tennis Federation, is a member of the Media Committee of the International Federation of the Game, and a member of the Gender Balance Committee of the Asian Federation of the game.
Noura Al Jasmi, President of the Badminton Federation, also holds many foreign positions, most notably the presidency of the Women’s and Marketing Committee in the Asian Cycling Federation, as well as Farah Salem, a member of the Board of Directors of the Emirates Muaythai Federation, who is the Vice President of the Arab Muaythai Federation.
The Emirati wisdom, Kholoud Al Zaabi, was recently approved among the elite rulers of the Asian Football Confederation, becoming the first Emirati woman to obtain this position, and many other female symbols in this sector.
The past period witnessed Emirati women achieving many achievements in the sports sector, as the women’s rugby team won the bronze medal for the Asian Sevens Cup, which was held in Jakarta, and the women’s cycling team won 4 colorful medals in the Gulf Games, and the women’s basketball team also won the gold medal in The same tournament last May in Kuwait, amid a large participation.
The rising Emirati star Shamma Al Kalbani achieved a historic achievement by winning the bronze medal in the 63 kg weight category and the bronze in the women’s open weight at the World Games last month in Birmingham, USA.
Also this year, Paralympic champion Aisha Al Mutaiwee set a new record in the history of Emirati sports, winning 3 gold medals for the Asian and Oceania Open Powerlifting Championships.
The gold juniors competed in the under-86 kg weight category to win the gold individually with a total of lifts that enabled them to deservedly crown and be on the throne of the junior women of the two continents.
The female athletes of our national cycling team for People of Determination won 5 colored medals (two gold, two silver and one bronze) in the Asian Cycling Championships in Tajikistan, which was held with the participation of 450 riders from 25 countries.
Safia Al Sayegh, captain of the UAE national cycling team, won the bronze medal in the same championship, in a historic achievement for the first time in cycling for women.
Last year also witnessed Emirati women achieving a unique and historical achievement, with Aisha Al Muhairi, player of the Dubai Shooting Club, qualifying to the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games as the first Emirati player in the history of shooting “the People of Determination” to reserve her seat in the Paralympic Games after she recorded a new personal number in the Venice competition category. Standing, during her participation in the World Cup Shooting Championship in Peru.
Dr. Huda Al Matroushi, President of the Emirates Federation of Modern Pentathlon, said – in exclusive statements to the Emirates News Agency “WAM” – that we are always proud to be Emirati women, who have distinguished us a lot from others, amid unprecedented interest in empowering Emirati women in all sectors and fields, including the sports sector, which is the most prominent sector witnessing Great support to always raise the name of the country on the podiums.
She pointed out that the celebration of Emirati Women’s Day is always renewed and not a year passes without a new achievement for it and a great addition that confirms the importance and role of women in this vital sector, which has a positive impact on all sectors because sport has now become a way of life regardless of its quality.
She stressed that empowering Emirati women is an approach taken by the wise leadership to put them in the first ranks in all sectors and fields, including the sports sector, as the recent period witnessed their empowerment in the sports sector, through the appointment of many Emirati women as heads of sports federations, which represents a transfer and a qualitative leap in the sports field. .
Noura Al Jasmi, President of the Emirates Badminton Federation, said – in statements to the Emirates News Agency “WAM” – that Emirati women have gained their place at the Arab and international levels, and thanks to the unlimited support of the wise leadership, they have assumed the position they deserve, until they put themselves on the right path.
She stressed: What we see now is the biggest incentive and encouragement to continue to complete the march to achieve the achievements that everyone has touched over the past years.