A day after successfully defending the GCC Karate title in Doha, Shaikha Maitha Bint Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum admitted the need for bigger and better exposure to the sport in the future.

"We need to take bigger steps if we are to realise our dream of breaking onto the international stage," Shaikha Maitha told Gulf News at the VIP wing of Dubai Airport late on Saturday night.

"However, at this stage, we need to be practical," Shaikha Maitha said.

"We are champions at the GCC level and that is good. But if we need to make it big then we will have to compete in bigger and tougher international competitions," she added.

Shaikh Maitha led from the front as she clinched four golds, while her teammates Mona Al Gurg, Randa Emam and Ameena Abdul Latif helped themselves to another three to complete a total haul of seven golds and a bronze.

"I dedicate this win to my father General Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and UAE Defence Minister," Shaikha Maitha stated.

"If it was not for his financial and moral support, we would have never achieved what we have done in this sport so far," she added. "We may be the Gulf champions but according to me, we are still in the beginning stages of a career which can leap to greater heights," Shaikha Maitha said.

"Being GCC champions first and then successfully defending our title a year later, is a big step. We see this as a stepping stone to future challenges," Shaikha Maitha stated.

One of those challenges will come in another three weeks when the UAE team participates at the Pan-Arab Games in Algeria.

"There we will be able to see where we stand in the Arab world," she noted.

"Participants from the Arab world and Africa, who are much more experienced than us, will be in the fray. There will also be some world champions. The Pan-Arab Games, will therefore, be a real test to see how we fare on a bigger stage," Shaikha Maitha stated.

And though countries like Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Bahrain have shown a huge improvement in their performances, the UAE still managed to covet seven gold medals from the eight categories.

During last year's inaugural championships, the UAE secured six gold medals of the seven categories they contested.

"Seven out of eight medals is not a bad effort," Shaikha Maitha said.

"But what impressed me most is the improvement made by other countries in the region. This is a big step and we need to develop together."

The UAE would have made a clean sweep and bagged the eighth gold medal as well, had it not been for a referee from Saudi Arabia who denied Mona Al Gurg a second medal in her 55kgs category fight against Lamya Abdullah of Bahrain.

"One cannot predict at such competitions. But I would rather prefer to lose rather than win and have the feeling that we did not deserve to win," Shaikha Maitha added.

The UAE men's team picked up the bronze medal after their loss to Qatar in the semifinals.

Results: Shaikha Maitha Bint Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum: 4 golds; Mona Al Gurg: 1 gold, 1 bronze; Randa Emam: 1 gold; Ameena Abdul Latif: 1 gold.