The United Arab Emirates will take part through four clubs in the 3rd Arab Women Sports Tournament - Sharjah2016 (AWST), which will be hosted by the Emirate of Sharjahfrom February 2nd to 12th, 2016. The event will be held under the patronage of Her Highness SheikhaJawaherbint Mohammed Al Qasimi, the wife of His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah, Chairman of the Supreme Council for Family Affairs. It isapproved by the Union of Arab National Olympic Committees and the League of Arab Statesand organized by the Women Sports Department and Sharjah Ladies Club, and their partners, the General Authority for Youth Welfare and Sports, the National Olympic Committee, and Sharjah Sports Council.The list of UAE clubs includes Sharjah Ladies Club, Baniyas Club, Al Wasl Sports Club, and the Emirates Equestrian Center. Sharjah Ladies Club will participate in all eight sports included in the third edition, which are basketball, volleyball, shooting, fencing, table tennis, athletics, archery, and equestrian.
The distribution of competitions for UAE clubs will be as follows: Sharjah Ladies Club and BaniyasClub will compete in basketball, Sharjah Ladies Club and Al WaslSports Club will compete in volleyball, Baniyas Club and Sharjah Ladies Club will compete in fencing, the Emirates Equestrian Center and Sharjah Ladies Club will compete in equestrianwhile the UAE's participation in table tennis, athletics, and bow-and-arrow games will be limited to the host club, Sharjah Ladies Club.For her part, SheikhaShamsaBintHashr Al-Maktoum, the Board Member in the Arab Volleyball Federation, Chairwoman of the Women's Committee & Supervisor of Ladies Games in Al-Wasl Sports Club,stated that the strong presence of Arab clubs and participation of Emirati clubs is very significant as it serveswomen's sports in the UAE.SheikhaShamsa said: "We are looking forward to seeing our players fromEmirati clubs on the various award podiums.
The Emirati clubs participating in the Arab Women Sports Tournamentare ready for the competitions, and most of the UAE's teams have participated in training camps locally and abroad, which has helped put the final technical touches to the tournament's organizational plan."For his part, General Dr. Ahmed Nasser Al Reessy, Chairman of Baniyas Club, Chairman of the UAE Shooting Federation, noted that the 3rd Arab Women Sports Tournament is a perfect opportunity for UAE clubs to gain exposure and interact with different levels of Arab clubs, especially since the third edition will include the participation of 17 Arab countries represented by 55 clubs.He added that the UAE clubs that will participate in the third edition have a strong chance to win titles and awards. He wished success to all Emirati players, as well as all countries and clubs participating in the edition, noting that the ultimate goal of the tournament is to hold fair competitions, promote good sportsmanship among all Arab countries, and advance women's sports in the Arab world.
Arab Women Sports Tournament (AWST):
AWST is hosted by Sharjah every two years under the patronage of Her Highness SheikhaJawaherbint Mohammed Al Qasimi. Following the success of Gulf Countries Competition (GCC), a sports competition organised by the Sharjah Ladies Club, Her Highness SheikhaJawaher Al Qasimi established the Women Sports Department in 2008 and opened the GCC to all Arab countries in order to raise the profile of women's sports in the region. The tournament is the first of its kind in the Arab World and was launched in 2012. Contestants participate in eight games including basketball, volleyball, table tennis, fencing, archery, shooting, athletics and show jumping.
AWST – Sharjah 2016 Sponsors:
The Arab Women's Sports Tournament enjoys the support of several leading organizations in the UAE, including the Platinum Sponsor, Emirates Telecommunications Corporation (Etisalat), the Golden Sponsor, International Petroleum Investment Company (IPIC), and four Bronze Sponsors: Sharjah Commerce & Tourism Development Authority; Golf and Shooting Club Sharjah; Sharjah International Airport and Al Jawaher Reception & Convention Centre. Sharjah Media Corporation is the tournament’s strategic media sponsor, the media sponsors are National Network Communications and Dar Al Khaleej Printing & Publishing. Presenting Media Sponsor is Sharjah Media. Fast Building Contracting Company is the strategic sponsor of SLC’s sports teams, Air Arabia is the official airline, Sharjah Sports TV is the official television channel and the official contractor for hospitality services, Kunooz Events & Catering with the supporting sponsor, Zalal.