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Sheikh Ahmed Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum during presentation of an award in Dubai. Image Credit: Antonin Kélian Kallouche/Gulf News

Dubai: Shaikh Ahmad Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, President of the UAE National Olympic Committee (UAE NOC), has directed the setting up of a Consultative Council to further boost the sporting sector in the UAE.

Consisting of competent and experienced personnel in the field of sports and the Olympic movement in particular, the new council is meant to serve as a reference consultative body entrusted with the job of enriching the careers of athletes in the UAE while charting clear paths for a bright future.

Humaid Al Qatami, Vice President of the UAE NOC and Chairman of the Executive Board, stressed the importance of this latest step as it will have many positives for the Olympic movement of the UAE. “We have highly-competent sports figures who will be selected based on certain criteria that include the knowledge about the principles of the Olympic movement, numerous sports contributions that have enriched the national Olympic movement and the accumulated experience in organisational, technical and administrative matters related to the Olympic movement,” Al Qatami noted.

“The resolutions of Shaikh Ahmad always aim to the development of UAE sport through innovative solutions that serve the interests of athletes. When the president of the UAE NOC makes such directives, it bears reference to the high level confidence he pins in our sports experts and the importance of giving them a chance to contribute to the setting of structures and processes on which long and medium-term plans for the Olympic movement can be based. They will also be of immense benefits to our athletes participating and competing at various levels,” he added.

Shaikh Ahmad pins high hopes in this Consultative Council given the unlimited support of our leaders who are keen to make whatever it takes to our male and female athletes.

The new council will render advise on matters related to strategies and plans for leveraging the future of the UAE Olympic movement. It will examine ideas and processes received from all organisations and sports bodies to select the best ones that meet the needs of our sport in the technical fields and other needs of relevance to the Olympic movement.

The Council will also advise on matters referred to it by the UAE NOC Board of Directors related to the national competitive sports and sports practice improvement strategies in a way that contributes to the progress of the national Olympic movement.

The council will also be required to assist the UAE NOC in developing plans for Olympic and non-Olympic sports federations to guide them to the best programmes that facilitate the achievements of sports titles and Olympic medals, while also reviewing and assessing the best global sports practices of relevance to the Olympic movement. It will also advise on the promotion of the Olympic culture in the community while diffusing the culture of sports practice in within UAE communities.