The fifth edition of the Arab Women Sports Tournament (AWST), organised by Sharjah Women's Sports (SWS), will have 60 clubs from 17 Arab countries competing in the individual format games of the tournament to be held in Sharjah from February 2 – 12, 2020.The UAE will be participating in all the seven competition categories of individual games, namely, shooting, archery, table tennis, karate, show jumping, fencing and athletics. Saudi Arabia and Bahrain will participate in all sporting disciplines except one each, shooting and show jumping, respectively. Jordan will participate in the table tennis, show jumping and karate competitions; Kuwait in table tennis, shooting, karate and athletics; Oman in shooting and athletics; while Syria will compete only in the karate category. Egypt will be represented in fencing and karate; Palestine in karate and athletics; Morocco in table tennis; Libya in athletics, karate and table tennis; and Algeria in table tennis, shooting, karate and archery. Sudan will compete in show jumping and archery; Iraq in archery; Comoros in athletics; Lebanon in show jumping; and Qatar in shooting and fencing.
HE Nada Askar Al Naqbi, Deputy Head of AWST’s Supreme Organising Committee and Director General of SWS, noted that the AWST’s individual format games have always attracted a wide cross-section of players to compete with their peers and showcase their sporting talents, which has served to promote the tournament as a unique platform to raise the profile of women athletes in the Arab region.She added: “A larger number of outstanding sportswomen are competing in the individual events this year too. We are certain that the tournament will achieve its goals in enriching the experience of the athletes and help them hone their skills to compete successfully, both regionally as well as globally.” AWST 2020 will be held under the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, wife of HH the Ruler of Sharjah and Chairperson of SWS. The tournament will kick off at the Sharjah Sports Club in Samnan, with 78 clubs from 18 countries participating.
About the Arab Women Sports Tournament
Held under the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, Wife of His Highness Ruler of Sharjah and Chairperson of the Sharjah Women Sports (SWS), the Arab Women Sports Tournament (AWST), is organised by the Sharjah Women Sports (SWS) in partnership with the UAE Sports Council, Sharjah Sports Council and the Union of Arab National Olympic Committees.Launched in 2012, the bi-yearly Olympics-themed women sports tournament, hosts a number of women's sports clubs from more than 15 Arab nations to compete across 9 sports: Karate, Basketball, Volleyball, Fencing, Show Jumping, Shooting, Archery, Athletics and Table Tennis.In 2018, AWST hosted 67 women sports clubs from 16 Arab nations who competed across 9 games, and received media coverage from more than 380 outlets across the Arab region. The fifth edition of the tournament, which is scheduled to kick-start on February 2 - 12, 2020, will play a major role in building on the 5-year success of the AWST brand, and support the growth and development of the regional sports industry and women sports initiatives.