ABU DHABI: Ghanim Mubarak Al Hajeri, Director-General for the General Authority of Sports, has affirmed that UAE sports are advancing in the right direction thanks to the strong support from wise leadership and dedicated efforts from stakeholders. He highlighted that the launch of the "National Sports Strategy - 2031" marks a pivotal moment in the country's sports development, serving as a framework for all initiatives. Al Hajeri emphasised the wide scope for development to achieve global recognition, focusing on enhancing infrastructure, supporting talent discovery and nurturing programmes, improving sports governance, and modernising sports entities with advanced technologies and training programmes. He also stressed the importance of uniting efforts to broaden community participation. Speaking to the Emirates News Agency (WAM), Al Hajeri discussed key strategic goals, including doubling the number of athletes qualifying for the 2032 Olympics. "This ambition underscores the necessity of talent scouting a nd development to international standards, with rigorous monitoring and comparison against global benchmarks," he said. Al Hajeri provided updates on the successful completion of the first phase of the National Sports Strategy - 2031, with eight projects achieving over 95 percent completion within a year. The second phase, consisting of seven projects, is underway and aims for completion in three years, with two more projects set to launch by 2031. The strategy targets increasing sports participation to 71 percent and raising the sector's contribution to the GDP to 0.5 percent by 2031. Regarding the sports achievements recognition regulations, Al Hajeri noted enhancements in the new framework, offering multiple levels of recognition across various competitions, including Olympic, Asian, and global events, along with financial rewards for winners in university and school competitions. Al Hajeri underscored the significance of teamwork with the Olympic Committee and sports federations to achieve national sp orts goals, emphasising the coordinated efforts to develop talent, improve sports facilities, and enhance governance and sports management practices. He also highlighted significant progress in women's sports, with female athletes comprising nearly 20 percent of registered practitioners and an increasing international presence. He said, "The authority is committed to empowering women in sports, organising numerous activities to foster their participation and collaborating with sports federations to expand women's competitions." Al Hajeri underscored the importance of international partnerships, mentioning recent MoUs with Bahrain and Indonesia aimed at leveraging successful global sports experiences to elevate UAE sports to new heights across various aspects. Source: Emirates News Agency
