The supreme organizing committee of the 3rd Arab Women Sports Tournament - Sharjah 2016- (AWST) has signed an agreement with Sharjah Media Corporation (SMC), making them the strategic media sponsor of the sporting event taking place this February 2-12, 2016.The agreement was signed by Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi, Chairman of SMC, and Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al Qasimi, Chairman of the SupremeOrganising Committee of AWST at SMC's headquarters last Thursday. It was signed in the presence of Nada Al Naqbi, Head of AWST’s Executive Committee and Tournament Manager, Khalid Omar Al Madfa, Director-General of SMC, and Rashid Abdullah Al Oaid, Director of Sharjah Sports Channel.Under the agreement Sharjah Media Corporation will streamlive many of the sports competitions on Sharjah Sports Channel, as well as broadcast highlights on Sharjah TV. All competitions and matches will be recorded for archive purposes and broadcast on Sharjah Sports Channel.
SMC will be providing competition analysis from a fully equipped studio at the main stadiums and display the logo and countdown of the tournament on Sharjah TV. It will also coordinate with GCC's sports channels to broadcast some events live and promote the tournament and competitions on its social media sites. SMC will also shoot a TV commercial about the tournament, highlighting Sharjah's landmarks, with the participation of Sharjah Ladies Club players.Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi acknowledged that the AWST has become one of the most watched sporting events and is among the most popular Arab sports tournaments. He said: “Sponsorship of this tournament is in line with SMC’s strategy to highlight events and activities organised by Sharjah. As an all-female event, broadcasting can help open up communication and greater understanding between Arab men and women. The support of SheikhaJawaherBint Mohammed Al Qasimi, Wife of His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah, Chairperson of the Supreme Council for Family Affairs and Chairperson of Sharjah Ladies Club (SLC), has significantly contributed to the tournament’s success and increased the number of participants as well as raised its profile as the Arab world's first women only sports event.”
Sheikh Khalid Bin Ahmad Al Qasimi, said: “This agreement with Sharjah Media Corporation as the strategic media sponsorshows how importantthis sporting event is and demonstrates the great support it has on all levels. This will help us to deliver our mission and message to the entire Arab world, that Arab women can make great achievements in different sports, and they therefore deserve support and encouragement.”Sheikh Khalid added that the AWST received great support from many national organisations, such as the Emirates Telecommunications Corporation (Etisalat) who are the platinum sponsor, International Petroleum Investment Company(IPIC), as golden sponsorand the Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority, bronze sponsor. This, he said, reflected the commitment of national establishments to social responsibility and their belief in women’s role and the need to develop their sporting talents and capacity.
The AWST is hosted by Sharjah every two years under the patronage of Her Highness SheikhaJawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi. It was launched after Sharjah Ladies Club organised a number of successful sports competitions called Gulf Countries Competition. Following this success, Her Highness SheikhaJawaher Al Qasimi established the Women Sports Department in 2008 and opened entry to all Arab countries to raise the profile of women's sports in the Arab region. The tournament is the first of its kind in the Arab World with the first edition taking place in 2012 and the second 2014.Female contestants participate in eight games, namely basketball and volleyball in collective games, and table tennis, fencing, archery, shooting and athletics in individual games. The 2016 edition sees the addition of fencing and show jumping.It is sanctioned by the Council of Arab Ministers of Youth and Sports, organized by Sharjah Ladies Club in collaboration with the General Authority of Youth and Sports Welfare in the UAE, the UAE NOC, and Sharjah Sports Council.SMCis a governmental organisation dedicated to developing the media industry in the Emirate of Sharjah and was established by Emiri Decree No.25 of 2009.
SMC aims to develop national media cadres capable of keeping abreast with requirements for development by utilising the best expertise and successful experience of public and private media institutions in coordination with relevant bodies.It also aims to reinforce the media’s role in family building and maintaining family cohesion, and to develop media performance on the grounds of professionalism, excellence, creativity, responsible freedom, and abidance by professional ethics without harming others’ rights.SMC furthermore aims to enhance competitiveness of media in the Emirate with other media, as well as with other disciplines associated with the corporation’s activities, or any assignments it is entrusted with by His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah.