Abu Dhabi: Lack of sports clubs and facilities act as a deterrent to growth of women’s sport in the UAE, according to Nada Askar Al Naqbi, Chairman of the executive committee for the Arab Women Sports Tournament (AWST),
Speaking at the third International Conference On Sports For Women (ICSW), Al Naqbi, also the Director of Women’s Sports in Sharjah felt there was a lack of sports clubs and facilities for women where they can practice in a “safe” atmosphere with a level of privacy.
“While we have the tremendous support of His Highness Shaikh Dr Sultan Bin Mohammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, and his wife, Shaikha Jawaher, Chairperson of the Supreme Council for Family Affairs and Chairperson of Sharjah Ladies Club, some parents are not being supportive of their daughters practicing sport. This can be especially true of young teenage girls and again, when women get married, many of them retire from sport,” she said.
Al Naqbi addressed a crowded hall of athletes, sports personalities and business leaders and highlighted issues preventing more Emirati women from participating in sport.
The conference was held at the Emirates Palace on May 4-5 and saw the participation of top sportswomen from around the world including Olympic champion Dame Kelly Holmes, former Wimbledon champion Marion Bartoli and Thuraya Hamad Al Zaabi, an Emirati Paralympic athlete and Olympic hopeful Amna Al Haddad.
Another factor that acts as a barrier to women practising sport, according to Al Naqbi, was the low budgets allocated for women and she called for establishing effective partnerships with institutions working on the development of women’s sport and raising awareness of its importance.
“The Sharjah Ladies Club has a vision to build a strong and vibrant female athletic community that will continue to reach milestones and achievements on a local, regional and international scale. Our members have already won 29 gold medals, 55 silver and 57 bronze medals at local, regional and international tournaments but we believe that women in this region, given the right support and facilities, can achieve more. We will work tirelessly to spread awareness of the importance of women in sports, and encouraging more women athletes to participate,” she added.
