Jawaher Al Qasimi Inaugurates The Second Arab Women Sports Tournament

The wife of His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah, Her Highness Sheikha Jawahir bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, Chairperson of the Supreme Council for Family Affairs and chairperson of Sharjah Ladies Club, inaugurated the opening of the Second Arab Women Sports Tournament on Sunday. Taking place in Sharjah from 2 - 12 of February, the Tournament will see the participation of over 900 participants from 15 countries, making it the largest Arabic women sports event.

The inauguration ceremony took place at the Sharjah Sports and Culture Club, in the presence of Sheikha Budour Bint Sultan Al Qassimi, Chairperson of Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq) and Vice Chairperson of Sharjah, Shaikh Isa bin Rashid Al Khalifa, Senior Vice President of the Union of Arab National Olympic Committees, Sheikha Hayat bint AbdulAziz Al Khalifa, Bahrain Olympic Committee member and Women’s Sports Committee Chairwoman and Head of AWST Supervisory and Follow-up Committee, and HE Tahir Abu Zaid, Egyptian Minister of Sports and President of the Executive Office of the Council of Arab Ministers of Youth and Sports from Egypt. His Highness Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmad bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Chairman of The Supreme Organization Committee of the Tournament was also present, in addition to a number of VIPs, presidents of Arabic sports committees, diplomats and diplomats’ spouses from the participating countries, and a wide audience of international guests.

The stadium was filled with a large audience, including His Excellency Saud bin Ali Al Abd Al Aziz, Secretary General of the Union of Arab National Olympic Committees in Saudi Arabia, the Olympic champion Nezha Bidouane, President of the Women’s Association in Morocco, as well as Arwa AlMutabagani, a member of the Saudi Equestrian Federation in Saudi Arabia.

In her speech during the ceremony, Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, Chairperson of Sharjah Ladies Club, said: “It is my pleasure today to welcome my daughters in the participating teams, as well as all guests and delegations present with us today. I would like to thank everybody for their participation in the Tournament, and also thank those whose efforts made this Tournament possible, and I mean members of the Olympic Committees, Unions, and sports authorities. Moreover, I would like to thank AWST’s sponsors for choosing to support women sports in the great event, wishing everybody a great stay in their home the UAE and here in Sharjah. In the name of ALLAH, we start the Second Arab Women Sports Tournament.”

The inauguration started with the ceremonial entrance of the participants and delegates representing each country, holding their national flags as they walked into the arena. Participating countries included the United Arab Emirates, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the Kingdom of Bahrain, the Republic of Algeria, the Republic of Sudan, the Republic of Iraq, the Sultanate of Oman, the State of Palestine, the State of Qatar, the State of Kuwait, the Republic of Lebanon, the State of Libya, the Arab Republic of Egypt, the Republic of Yemen, and the Republic of Tunisia.

Following the entry of the athletes into the stadium, Her Highness Sheikha Hayat Al Khalifa, Head of AWST Supervisory Committee, raised the flag of the Arab Nations Olympic Committee. The flag of the Arab Women Sports Tournament was then raised by Nada Askar Al Naqbi, Head of the Executive Committee and Manager of AWST. The Arab League flag was then raised by Ali Omar, member of the Technical Secretariat of the Council of Arab Youth and Sports Ministers, Vice Chairman of the Supervising and Follow-Up Committee, and Chairman of the Players Qualifications Committee.

Following the ceremonial flag raising, participating athletes took an oath recited by Sarah Issa from the basketball team at Sharjah Ladies Club. The referees’ oath was then recited by Captain Sahar Labib, of the basketball referee team, on behalf of all participating referees.

Her Highness Sheikha Hayat bin AbdulAziz Al Khalifa followed with a speech, during which she had thanked Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohamad Al Qasimi, saying: "This sports event represents a significant educational and sports opportunity for athletes to hone their skills. It acknowledges young Arab women by reinforcing their participation, highlighting their abilities, and supporting their hopes and aspirations. This is what contributes to the development of an athletic female generation, with a sustainable commitment that will lead our women to regional and international podiums."

Her Highness invited all athletes to show their persistence and follow their paths, and aim at being the best Arab delegates to regional and international sports events. She also urged the Olympic committees and national federations to put more emphasis on women sports, in order to ensure the establishment of National Leagues in each country, covering the various age groups.

In his speech, Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmad Al Qasimi said: "The Arab woman as once again proved her capabilities, responsibility, achievement, and care. Today is a great opportunity for us to acknowledge once more the important role played by Arab women in development and building civilization. We are confident that we will see more elegance and success, as women prove their capabilities to showcase even more success, and reach new horizons".

He added, "With the directions and support of Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher AL Qasimi, we renew our commitment to support Arab women sports, and elevate its status regionally and internationally. Our aim is to create a whole new awareness of women sports, which is the cornerstone in leading Arab women to international podiums."

The ceremony also included parades and shows, accompanied by AWST’s song by singer Hussain Al Jasmi. The development of the Emirati and Arab woman sposrts was also emphasized in a documentary produced for this event.

The tournament includes seven sports, taking place in 10 different venues in Sharjah. The sports are basketball, volleyball, table tennis, fencing, archery, shooting, and athletics.

The inauguration day was concluded by the first match in the basketball competitions between Sharjah Ladies Club and Al Muharraq Sports Club from Bahrain.

Emirate:  Sharjah

Date: Feb 3, 2014

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