Eleven athletes from 11 Arab nations came together to attain glory at the athletics competitions of the Arab Women Sports Tournament 2018 (AWST), which commenced recently at the Al Thiqah Club for Handicapped in Sharjah.The competitions formed part of the fourth and largest edition of the tournament, which takes place until February 12, under the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, Wife of His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah, and Chairperson of the Sharjah Women Sports Foundation (SWSF).The competition categories featured seven Track and Field competitions, namely; 100-metre dash, 400-metre dash, 800-metre and 5,000-metre run, long jump, javelin throw and the 4x100metre relay.The inauguration ceremony was graced by several senior personalities in the region’s sporting arena like Sheikh Isa bin Rashid Al Khalifa, Honorary President of the Bahrain Olympic Committee; Sheikha Hayat bint Abdulaziz Al Khalifa, Bahrain Olympic Committee (BOC) Board Member and Chairperson of AWST Supervision and Follow-up Committee; and Dr. Sarhan Hassan Al Muaini, President of the UAE Chess Federation.
The event also saw in attendance Dr. Tariq bin Khadim, Chairman of Al Thiqah Club for Handicapped; HE Nada Askar Al Naqbi, Deputy Chairperson of AWST Supreme Organising Committee, Head of AWST Executive Committee and Director General of SWSF; as well as heads of participating delegations and a host of UAE sports officials.In the 100 metres dash, Bahrain’s Hajar Saad Al Omairi from the Busaiteen Club securedthe gold medal with an impeccable time of 12.25 seconds, while Oman’s Mzoon Al Alawyia just a few fractions short, took silver medal with a time of 12.54 seconds. It was Bahrain again in third place with Zainab Abdul Hussein finishing at 13.30 seconds, and winning the bronze. In the 400 metres dash category, Algeria’s Shayma Wanees securedgold with a time of 59.09 seconds. It was Algeria again in second place with Sabriya Hussein’s superb dash clocking 1:01.00. The bronze medal was won by Bahrain’s Esooma Josephine, delivering her act in 1:02.12 minutes – a few seconds apart from Hussein’s. In the 800 metresrun, Marta Herbatoyota from Bahrain’s Busaiteen Club struck gold medal with a finish time of 2:09.84 minutes, Algeria’s Nabeela Saifi won silver,clocking 2:16.00 minutes and Kuwaiti Amal Youssef Al Roumi bagged bronze finishing in 2:20.02 minutes.In the 5,000-metre run category, Abeer Raffas from Algeria secured gold medal with a time of 17:50.63 minutes. Fattouma Jawar Gubaisi from Bahrain crossed the finish line just three seconds after, and at 17:53.79 minutes secured second place. Lolowa Askar Al Askar from the Kuwaiti Al Fatat Club took bronze medal with a time of 20:12.73 minutes.The 4x100-metre relay also saw stiff competition, with the Busaiteen Club winning gold after registering a 50.89-second finish time, Algeria’s National Security Sports Association Club takingthe silver medal with a very competitive time of 51.04 seconds, and finally, Oman’s Al Khabour Sports Club claimed bronze with a time of 52.47 seconds.In field sports, javelin throw witnessed a display of pure talent with Egypt’s Rida Adel Ahmad from Port Fouad Sports Club securing gold with a 36.80 metre-throw. Heba Al Asemiya from Oman’s Al Khabour Club came second throwing 33.38 metres, and Hanan Ibrahim from Sharjah Sports Club finished third with a throw of 27.72 metres, winning bronze medal.In the long jump category, Algerian Kawthar Salma secured the gold medal with a jump of 5.10 metres, Egyptian Asmaa Muhammad won silver with her 4.82-metrejump, and Khadija Al Manji’s 4.64-metre jump secured the bronze for Oman.Winners of the first three places of each competition received their prizes from attending guests. The athletics competitions concluded Friday evening with two sports; shot put and 4X100 sprint relay.
Al Muaini: Sharjah’s success in hosting many significant events in one month highlights the capabilities of its people
Dr. Sarhan Hassan Al Muaini, President of the UAE Chess Federation, underscored that the UAE has become one of the key countries in the region for organising and hosting regional and international tournaments, thanks to the wise vision of the nation’s leaders who emphasise the importance of sports. He thanked His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, and his wife, Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, and commended their great efforts to support women’s sports in the larger region.Al Muaini pointed out that Sharjah’s success in hosting many events in one month, namely; the Arab Chess Olympiad Championships, Arab Women Sports Tournament, Sharjah Lights Festival and Sharjah Folklore Poetry Festival, underscores thecultural and educational flair of the Emirati peoples.Al Muaini thanked the AWST Supreme Organising Committee, and commended the efforts of HE Nada Askar Al Naqbi, Deputy Chairperson of AWST Supreme Organising Committee, particularly in terms of organising the event and adding a new sport, karate, to the tournament, which is anticipated to feature chess in the forthcoming edition. AWST is the largest tournament in the Gulf region and the Arab world in women’s sports.He also applauded the turnout of spectators and participants from 16 Arab countries, which highlights the success and appeal of AWST. He expressed delight about Sharjah’s efforts to support women in sports, especially with an Amiri decree to establish the SWSF, which supports Emirati women and empowers them to develop their talents, and provides them a platform that elevates them in sports and enables them to participate in local, Arab and international tournaments.