Sharjah: In keeping with its mission to grow and advance women’s sports in Sharjah and the UAE, the Sharjah Women’s Sports Foundation (SWSF) has introduced a list of nine key sporting activities as varied as archery and fencing to its portfolio.

The disciplines also include basketball, volleyball, table tennis, shooting, athletics, show jumping, and self-defence sports like karate, jiu-jitsu and taekwondo.

Through its development strategy, the foundation seeks to train a higher number of Emirati sportswomen, and give them prominence in the regional and international sports scene by enabling them to compete in important tournaments.

SWSF has been working on raising awareness of women’s sports, as well as developing the capabilities of local women in sports in line with the directives of Her Highness Shaikha Jawaher Bint Mohammad Al Qasimi, Wife of His Highness Shaikh Sultan Bin Mohammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, who is the Chairperson of the Supreme Council for Family Affairs (SCFA) and Chairperson of the SWSF.

“SWSF has been leading the emirate’s efforts to develop the athletic talents of women, eliminating taboos and encouraging women to take up sports, and has extended both financial and emotional support to them,” said Nada Askar Al Naqbi, director-general of the SWSF.

“The foundation has reinforced the strong need for more and more female representatives of the UAE sports landscape, stressing on increasing their role locally, regionally and internationally. We have also been hosting the Arab Women Sports Tournament in Sharjah for three years, providing female athletes a professional platform to compete on and showcase their skills.

“Such initiatives go a long way in not just elevating the stature of women in sports in Sharjah and the UAE, but is a window for the world to learn about the local talent that exists in the UAE,” she added.

“The sporting activities added to SWSF’s offerings is a step in this direction. By constantly equipping the foundation’s facilities with new and improved offerings, we wish to further our ambition of enabling a paradigm shift in women’s sports.

“We envision a future for our nation where Emirati women will be as capable to represent us at regional and international tournaments. We want them to achieve glory in sports for themselves, their families, community and country in key global sports.”

Al Naqbi shared the SWSF’s long-term vision of fostering a love of sports, creating a community of talented sportswomen by bringing local women’s sports to a level that adopts best international practices, and making bold strides at local, regional and global levels.

She also shared that the foundation provides staff with professional development and training, which in turn will result in them providing best-in-class services to members.

The SWSF was established under an Emiri decree in November 2016 by Dr Shaikh Sultan. Chaired by Shaikha Jawaher, the foundation strives to empower national athlete women and develop human capital in the field of women sport. It also seeks to create a talented generation of women leaders in the field of sport, encourage women participation in different sports, promote sports culture and provide a stimulating environment that contributes to raising awareness of women sports.