Sharjah- 10 February 2014

The Second Arab Women Sports Tournament was highlight praised by participating Arab delegations and local leadership. The Tournament was organized by Sharjah Ladies Club from February 2nd to 12th, 2014, under gracious patronage of wife of His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah, Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, Chairperson of the Supreme Council for Family Affairs, and Chairperson of Sharjah Ladies Club.

As the Tournament gets closer to its conclusion, the Organizing Committee has been receiving messages of acclaim and praise for the successful organization. Sheikh Issa bin Rashid Al Khalifa, Senior Vice President of the Union of Arab National Olympic Committees, said that the organization was outstanding, highlighting that he represented His Royal Highness Prince Nawaf bin Faisal bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud, President of the Union of Arab National Olympic Committees. Sheikh Issa said: "I was very impressed by the excellent organization and attention to detail. I would like to thank the wife of His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah, Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi for this great success".

"Sharjah was successful in organizing the first AWST in 2012. We discussed that tournament thoroughly, exploring all issues related to it, which positively influenced the second AWST. This year, we saw more athletes taking part, from more countries. This provided stronger grounds for high performance by all participants. We are looking forward to more success, including more sports and more countries.

On her part, Sheikha Hayat bint AbdulAziz Al Khalifa, Bahrain Olympic Committee member, Women's Sports Committee Chairwoman, and Head of AWST Supervisory Committee, praised the great efforts extended by the wife of His Highness Ruler of Sharjah, Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, Chairperson of the Supreme Council for Family Affairs, and Chairperson of Sharjah Ladies Club, whose initiative was behind establishing the Tournament on the GCC level at the beginning, with only basketball, volleyball, and table tennis. That regional event was basis on which AWST 2012 was built, leading to the great success this year's Tournament witnessed.

Shaikha Hayat Al Khalifa added: The Tournament was a giant leap on the technical, administrative, and organization levels. It was highly praised for strict adherence to regulations, especially that it was sanctioned by the Union of Arab National Olympic Committees since its first edition, which helped overcoming birth pains, not to mention the expended sponsorship and larger media coverage, which added great momentum to the event. Moreover, adding the Supervisory and Follow up Committee was an insightful step, as this committee will be evaluating procedures and feedback, and issuing recommendations for the next AWST in two years. These recommendations will be based on sound analysis and data collection, thus acting as a performance measure.

Taher Abu Zaid, Egyptian Minister of Sports and President of the Executive Office of the Council of Arab Ministers of Youth and Sports, sent two messages of gratitude to the wife of His Highness Ruler of Sharjah, Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, Chairperson of the Supreme Council for Family Affairs, and Chairperson of Sharjah Ladies Club, and Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Chairman of The Supreme Organization Committee of the Tournament, thanking them for the outstanding organization of the second edition of AWST.

The Egyptian Minister praised the great role played by the UAE in this important sports event, which represents a great boost for sports in general, and women sports in particular, highlighting that the presence of 900 female athletes from 15 Arab countries is a testimony of the great development AWST 2014 has witnessed.

Sheikha Frayha Al Ahmad Al Sabah, President of Kuwaiti Al Fatat Club thanked the Wife of His Highness Ruler of Sharjah, Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al-Qasimi, Chairperson of the Supreme Council for Family Affairs, Chairperson of Sharjah Ladies Club, for the great role she played in the success of AWST 2014.

Sheikha Frayha said: "Organization was superb, and the success gave us all an opportunity to enjoy this pan-Arab brotherly event."

"Competition was tough in all games, but we don't look at who won, but rather at strengthening the brotherly ties between Arab countries. We are proud of all winners from all countries." She added.

As for Mariam Basheer, Manager of Qatar Delegation to AWST 2014, she praised the Tournament's success, saying: "AWST has shown great development, especially in the numbers of participating athletes, which reached 900 from 15 different countries this year, which is a clear indication of how well developed women sports are in the various sports".

"AWST has shown high standards in all aspects, and my hope is that more sports would be added in the next edition, such as handball, which is a team sport worthy of great attention and support. Handball is well developed in the Arab World, and it is well categorized per age. It is surely AWST material".

Commenting on performance, Basheer said: "This edition of AWST witnessed high level performance and excellent skills, both in individual and team sports. Our team presented an excellent level, winning 19 colored medals, which made us very proud. We are hoping for more medals as well, as we still have the basketball tournament to conclude".

The Libyan delegation also highly praised the organization, as the president of the delegation Saeed AL Harari, and the delegation member and Head of Tournaments Committee at the Libyan Shooting Federation, Amal Al Tahir Arrab, expressed their contentment and applauded Sharjah for its efforts, highlighting that the Libyan delegation felt welcomed and churched.

Hariri and Arrab thanked the Organization Committee for the hospitality, and congratulated the UAE for the great success. They also expressed their confidence in the Capital of Islamic Culture, Sharjah, to host future tournaments at even a higher

level of success, as this event is instrumental in developing Arab women sports, and strengthening ties between Arab countries.

They concluded by passing the greetings and best wishes of Awatif Abu Shwasha, President of Libyan Women Sports Federation.

On the other hand, local leadership in the UARE also expressed their pride in the success achieved by AWST. Major General Dr Obaid Al Hairi Salem Al Ketbi, Deputy General Commander of Abu Dhabi Police President of the UAE Archery Association, said: "The tournament was a great success by all measures. Preparation was remarkable, and organization was top-notch. Our wise leadership pays special attention to UAE athletes, supporting them in developing their skills."

He continued: "There is a strategic plan adopted by the UAE Archery Association covering all aspects of this game. We are now auditing capabilities and focusing on the Emirati talented athletes, in order to build a national archery team capable of competing on local and international levels. There are great efforts being put in this regard, as well as excellent collaboration between all stakeholders."

On his part, His Excellency Major General and Commander-in-Chief of Sharjah Police Humaid Mohamed Al Hadidi said: "As people in charge, we offer our utmost support to sports in general, and individual sports in particular. As a Police Department, we look at sports as an important part of our mission, including individual sports, self-defense, and athletics."

He continued: "There is a great deal of support to women sports by all authorities, which is leading our female athletes to the podiums in prestigious tournaments. The UAE won the highest number of medals in archery, which is only a reflection of this support extended to women sports."

"We are working on establishing an archery women team at Sharjah Academy in the near future," he concluded.

Ahmad Al Fardan, Secretary General of the Sharjah Sports Council, said: "The great efforts presented in the first AWST in 2012 resulted in increasing the number of participating countries, and I am confident that we would see even more countries in the next edition in 2016."

He added: "Some sports in this tournament were ones in which UAER men never took part, but our female athletes managed to conquer them and achieve excellent results. This includes archery and fencing."

Al Fardan affirmed that there is now a great deal of awareness around individual sports, whether in the UAE or the wider Arab World. There is a great chance we can discover exceptional talents in these sports, which will raise our beloved flag in international events."

-Ends-

About the Arab Women Sports Tournament
The format of this tournament emerged after Sharjah Ladies Club launched a series of successful sports tournaments under the title of Gulf Countries Competition (G.C.C), which attracted participation from all over the Gulf. After achieving notable success, Arab countries outside the Gulf expressed interest in taking part in future events. As a result, Her Highness Sheikh Jawaher Bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, Wife of the Ruler of Sharjah, envisioned the evolution of the G.C.C into a world-class sporting event in order to celebrate female sport through a larger platform and embrace participants from all across the Arab world. This vision gave birth to the Arab Women Sports Tournament, the first of its kind in the Arab World.

Her Highness Sheikh Jawaher Bint Mohammed Al Qasimi after a series of sporting  achievements at the Sharjah Ladies Club, made a resolution to form a new sport body
entitled the Women Sports Department to continue to support female athletes and the development of their capabilities while inspiring the next generation and promoting a healthy lifestyle. It is the first body of its kind in the Emirate of Sharjah and has played a significant role in driving interest in and promoting women's sport. It has also supported the formation of multiple teams to compete in a variety of women's leagues and tournaments - locally, regionally and internationally.

About the Sharjah Ladies Club
From their establishment in 1982, Sharjah Ladies Club's commitment has always been to provide a safe have for women. The founder of the Club and chairwoman of the Supreme Council for Family Affairs, Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher Bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, wanted to create a centre that would serve the community and touch the lives of everyone in it.

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© Press Release 2014