Dubai: Shaikh Ahmad Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, President of the UAE National Olympic Committee (UAE NOC), hailed the decision to hold the first UAE National Sports Day later this year as he met with members of the executive committee late on Tuesday.
Shaikh Ahmad joined the panel, which is chaired by UAE NOC General Secretary Mohammad Al Kamali, to launch the official logo for the event.
“We are all together in this project. Our leaders have entrusted us with the implementation of this initiative and we can succeed in this only if we work united and with one goal in mind. This sports day is meant for everyone in the UAE, and so we need to be of one spirit,” Shaikh Ahmad told the executive committee.
The UAE National Sports Day is the brainchild of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. The event will coincide with the country’s 44th National Day, which is on December 2, although the sporting events may actually be held on November 30.
Other committee members include Aref Hamad Al Awani, Saeed Hareb and Saeed Al Ketbi, the general secretaries of the three sports councils of Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah, along with a representative each from the Ministry of Health (Nasser Al Budour), Ministry of Education (Amal Al Kous) and two from the UAE NOC (Abdul Mohsin Al Dossary and Shamma Al Zarouni), along with Shamma Al Khazraji, executive director, marketing and communications, for Abu Dhabi Media, and Saeed Al Ka’abi, chairman of Sharjah Educational Council.
“We are one people, one nation and this is the message we want to convey to the entire nation as we start preparing for such an important event in our history,” Al Kamali told Gulf News.
“We have more than 200 nationalities living here, and yet we are one nation. That makes us one of the most ideal countries in the world and we want to celebrate this aspect.”
Al Awani added that the committee was expecting everyone, irrespective of culture or nationality, to be part of the initiative.
“We are in the planning stage to make this a day to remember and we are expecting people to come forward with ideas to make the UAE National Sports Day a huge success,” he said.
“We have private companies and the public sector organising various sports events in the UAE. It is now time for all of these to join hands and organise a day that will become an important part of our history.”
Al Budour wanted the sports day to be “the happiest day in the history of the UAE”. “This initiative is from our leaders and it is just that we all put our minds together and work for its success,” he said.
Hareb suggested the government declare a compulsory public holiday on UAE National Sports Day. “The main thing is to attract everyone — and if it is a declared holiday for the public and private sectors, then the participation will be huge,” he said.
“We will be moving through a cross-section of society including schools, companies, colleges and sports clubs to pass on our message of being together in this unique venture.”