Dubai: The head of the womens’ sports committee at Dubai Sports Council (DSC) has called on Dubai women to play a more significant role in achieving the success of the fourth Shaikha Hind Women’s Sports Tournament.

The annual competition will for the first time bring together employees from government and semi-government entities to compete in nine different sporting disciplines at various venues in Dubai from October 19-31.

Bowling will be the latest addition to the existing list of eight events. The tournament features team sports like basketball, volleyball and handball and individual sports like badminton, swimming, cycling, road running and chess.

Organised by the DSC Women and Sports Committee under the patronage of Shaikha Hind Bint Mohammad Al Maktoum, wife of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, this year’s competition will also see a substantial increase in prize money from the existing Dh380,000 to Dh600,000.

“Each and every woman has a role to play in building communities. Through our three-pronged structure at the women and sports committee, we want to create a completeness of our women at the grassroots, the clubs and the social levels,” Moza Al Merri, Board Member, DSC, and Head of the Womens Sports Committee, told media.

“This event is not just about uplifting women. It’s about giving our women the sense of an enhanced belonging while also giving them an opportunity to break away from their routine and show a better involvement in building our community,” she added.

Al Merri expressed satisfaction with the substantial growth of the competition in just three years. “We are very proud with what we have achieved in such a short time. In the first year, we had 166 women from 13 departments, followed by 260 participants from 16 departments in 2014, and to more than 400 women from 20 departments last year,” Al Merri pointed out.

Tournament Director Fawzia Faraidoon said that the main focus of the event is to inculcate a healthy lifestyle among women employed in the government and semi-government sectors. “Not only do they have a platform to make sport a part of their lifestyle but they also get an absolutely fantastic space for cultivating new friendships with fellow employees outside their work environment,” Faraidoon said.

Registrations for the event will be open until the end of September. Further details may be obtained from the tournament website www.shwstournament.com.

SCHEDULE

October 19: Bowling (Dubai Bowling Club, Al Mamzar)

October 20: Chess (Dubai Chess and Cultural Club, Al Mamzar)

October 21: Road Race (Al Khawaneej track)

October 22: Cycling (Nad Al Sheba cycling track)

October 25: Basketball, Volleyball and Handball (Dubai World Trade Centre)

October 26: Badminton (Dubai World Trade Centre)

October 28: Swimming (Al Wasl Club)