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Dubai: Legendary Indian cricketer Rahul Dravid will be among the featured speakers at SportAccord International Convention 2010 in Dubai.
Dravid, former captain of India's national team and a star of the Indian Premier League, which has emerged sensationally as one of the world's richest professional sports competitions, will be the subject of a special interview session during the prestigious event from April 25-30.
The SportAccord Convention, as a forum, acts as a vehicle for drawing conclusions from the experiences of countries that are developing systems and provisions for sports.
It is important for decision-makers in the sports field to constantly be present at such gatherings in order to exchange ideas and experiences on both serious issues and topics of interest to the sports community.
Proximity
Hosting the SportAccord International Convention in the Middle East, due to the close geographical proximity, presents a greater opportunity for Asian athletes to discuss issues of concern to their region with the various participating international bodies and sports organisations by putting the problems that they face over sport development in their countries on the discussion table.
Major events
Recently the Middle East has also witnessed an ever-increasing development infrastructure which has started to attract major sporting events.
Hosting SportAccord International Convention in the region will not only mark a milestone and elevated stature for the Middle East, but is also a testament to the regions efforts to ensure the success of these forums and to benefit from the results.
Mattar Al Tayer, Vice President of Dubai Sports Council, said: "We are hosting SportAccord International Convention 2010 in light of our approach to focus on the power of sport and its role in bringing about positive change in communities by breaking barriers between people and through enriching their lives."
Valuable addition
Al Tayer added: "We are proud to host this important convention in Dubai and we look to it as a valuable addition to our nation and to our efforts to contribute to such events."
The eighth annual SportAccord International Convention 2010 will take place at Atlantis Palm Resort. It is the first edition of the SportAccord Convention to be held in the Middle East and is additionally being sponsored by "Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Creative Sports Award," Dubai Media Inc., Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), and Dubai Sports City.
Every year SportAccord Convention week features a dynamic exhibition, numerous networking receptions and top-level conference sessions, including the City Forum, as well as the annual general meetings of the Sports Governing Bodies.
The Convention attracts over 1,500 leading representatives of international sport.