Dubai: Nearly 50 women from across the Middle East will be part of the inaugural ‘Peace and Sport Cup — Women In Badminton Dubai,’ being held at the Etisalat Academy till April 30.
Organised by the Dubai Sports Council (DSC) in association with the Badminton World Federation (BWF) and Monaco-based Peace and Sport, the four-day event has brought national squads from Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Iraq, Morocco, Sudan, Lebanon, Jordan and the hosts UAE.
The formal announcement of the event at the Etisalat Academy was attended by Dr Joel Bouzou, President and Founder, Peace and Sport; Dagmawit Girmay, IOC Member and Vice-President, BWF and Thomas Lund, General Secretary, BWF.
“Our leadership is always challenging us to find the means to consolidate Dubai’s position on the world map. Badminton is a popular sport with a huge following and this event that caters to women players from the region will go a long way in achieving our goals,” noted Dr Al Sharif.
Dr Bouzou, who has been associated with Dubai following the successive staging of the Peace and Sport Forum here last year, reiterated that the city is a key player in fostering peace by using sport as a tool. “I come here as a friend to launch this unique event that brings all women badminton players from the Arab world together, and hopefully there will be new friendships established by the time the competition is finished,” Dr Bouzou said.
Lund, a former badminton doubles specialist from Denmark and now general secretary of the WBF, was keen to witness the promotion of his sport in the region. “It’s a unique partnership that we are witnessing here and it brings in great values. I am convinced this tournament will be a great inspiration for the entire region,” Lund said.
The first round of the badminton tournament got under way on Sunday afternoon with the preliminary rounds. Players have been divided into two groups. The best two from each group will advance to the knock-out stages and the final will be played on April 30.
