Sharjah: The Labour Sports Festival (LSF) was inaugurated recently in the sports fields of the Sharjah National Park, opposite Sharjah International Airport.
The festival, opened by Salem Al Qaseer, chairman of the Labour Standards Development Authority (LSDA) of Sharjah, will continue until the end of March 2019.
The second edition of LSF is organised by LSDA in cooperation with Sharjah Sports Council and Reach Target Co.
LSF aims to attract high attendance and participation of workers and employees of government and private sectors in Sharjah.
The opening ceremony was attended by Issa Hilal Al Hazami, secretary-general of the Sharjah Sports Council; Tariq Salem Al Khanbashi, founder and CEO of Reach Target Services and Sports Commitments, and a number of senior officials from the participating departments and companies.
LSF competitions began on December 28 and will continue until the end of March 2019. The matches will be held every Friday at the sports fields of Sharjah National Park, from 8am to 11am, and from 3pm to 6pm. The participating teams will compete across several sports such as cricket, hockey, football, basketball and volleyball.
The number of teams registered in the football and basketball tournament is 25, while cricket has around 35 teams, 12 volleyball and 18 hockey teams.
Al Qaseer said: “[LSF] reflects the message of tolerance that characterises the emirate of Sharjah and its keenness to preserve the rights of labourers. Since our establishment, we have been inspired by the directives of His Highness Dr Shaikh Sultan Bin Mohammad Al Qassimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, and have always implemented a culture of tolerance among all segments of society.”
Al Hazami also said LSF is in line with the vision and guidance of Dr Shaikh Sultan that aims to make Sharjah “a hub for athletes, through the promotion of sporting events”.
Al Khanbashi called on all private companies and institutions in Sharjah and the UAE to encourage their employees to participate in these competitions.
He said: “While the festival is aimed to make the lives of the labourers active, it also aims to enrich the spirit of sports among the participants in competitive landscape, as well as unleash the sports’ talents among the labourers. At Reach Target, we have sought to promote this concept through the distribution of games and the allocation of certain areas for families, with a special area being designated for fans.”
