Dubai: Dubai’s innovative sports sector received a major endorsement from Sheikh Mansoor Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Sports Council, as it was bouncing back into life from COVID-19 pandemic.
“Sports in Dubai is not just a recreational and health activity, but it is a way of life for our community and the enthusiastic numbers that we have seen at our academies, and sports and fitness centres since reopening only confirm that,” said Mansoor. “It is a vital sector of our society, supporting the government’s strategic objectives and creating a community that is happy and healthy and among the most physically-active in the world.
“The sports sector is also crucial for the national economy because it creates jobs opportunities for thousands of people, and attracts a huge number of tourists to the many top international events that we host here in Dubai around the year.
“Our sports sector is a beacon for many others cities and we proved that once again through this COVID-19 pandemic, organising a number of innovative virtual sports events, symposiums and webinars, which caught the attention of sports lovers and the media from around world, and impressed everyone.
“Now, as the sports sectors opens up following the COVID-19 lockdown, and our children return to their academies and elders to their favourite sports and fitness centres, or parks, we can be proud of the work we have put in - together with all our stakeholders and different government entities, and under the umbrella of Dubai’s Supreme Committee of Crisis and Disaster Management - to make this possible through vision and planning.
“Together, we have shown our resilience in overcoming all the challenges that the sports sector in Dubai faced over the past few months, and now we are planning for the next stage with all our stakeholders. Very soon, the Council will be announcing new initiatives and plans that will strengthen the sports sector and give it boost heading into the post COVID-19 phase,” he added.
Dubai’s sports sector has seen a gradual return to normalcy in recent weeks, with Dubai Sports Council taking a staggered, safety-first approach in opening up the sports sector, before finally giving permission to the marine sport sector last month to organise competitions.
Mansoor, Chairman of Dubai’s Supreme Committee of Crisis and Disaster Management, made those comments after chairing a virtual meeting of the Board of Directors of Dubai Sports Council.
Mattar Al Tayer, Vice-Chairman of DSC, participated in the meeting along with Board members Dr Abdulla Al Karam, Ali Bujsaim, Mohammed Al Kamali, Ahmad Al Shafar, Moaza Saeed Al Marri and Saeed Hareb, Secretary General of the Council. Nasser Aman Al Rahma, Assistant Secretary General of the Council, was also present at the meeting.
