Sharjah: Participants from 12 countries, including the hosts UAE, will take part in the inaugural Arab Women's Sports Tournament which gets under way at the Sharjah Ladies Club from Thursday. The multi-discipline event runs until February 12.
The UAE will participate in all the disciplines, which include basketball, volleyball, athletics, shooting and table tennis. Some of the other participants are Al Jazira women's basketball club from Egypt, Akad Basketball Sports Club, volleyball and shooting clubs from Iraq, Al Mohafaza women athletics club, Korat Al Jazira women's table tennis club, Al Wahda women's basketball club and Syria's Sheba Shooting Club.
Palestine will also be represented by the Jerusalem Volleyball Club.
Yemen will participate in volleyball, archery and athletics, while Qatar will take part through the Qatar Women's Club in basketball, athletics, shooting and table tennis. Kuwait will be represented by Salwa Al Sabah Sports Club in volleyball and athletics, Al Fatat sports club in basketball and table tennis, and Kuwait Club in shooting.
Bahrain will be represented by Bahrain volleyball Club, Al Mahrrouq Table Tennis Club, the Bahrain Shooting Club and Al Rifaah Athletics Club.
Announcing this at a press conference yesterday, Noora Al No'man, director general of the Executive Office of Shaikha Jawaher Bint Mohammad Al Qasimi, Wife of His Highness Dr Shaikh Sultan Bin Mohammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, said: "There is no doubt that we in the Sharjah Ladies Club are proud to organise such an event which is the first of its kind in the Arab region. The first session of the Arab Women's Sports Tournament will be a platform that gathers a range of Arab women's teams that have confirmed their participation in this major sports event.
"We have received support and cooperation from prominent sports committees such as the Olympic Union of Committees, League of Arab States and the Public Authority for Youth and Sports in the UAE."
Some of the venues will be the College of Technology, University of Sharjah, American University of Sharjah and Al Thiqa Club.
