Six state-of-the-art sports venues across Sharjah have undergone finishing touches to its facilities for provision of high standards of amenities for athletes as well as highest quality experience for spectators in preparation for the hosting of nine main competitions at the fifth edition of the Arab Women Sports Tournament (AWST), scheduled to be held from Feb. 2-12, 2020.

The Supreme Organising Committee of AWST also revealed the readiness of seven sports halls that would be utilised for team training.

AWST is the largest pan-Arab sporting event dedicated to women in the region and is organised by the Sharjah Women’s Sports (SWS).

The Supreme Organising Committee revealed the readiness of its venues and its compliance with international standards of amenities and safety, following a visit by its supervision and follow-up committee to assess the preparedness of the venues. Members of the supervision and follow-up committee included Saad Al Sufiani, Assistant Secretary General of The Union of Arab National Olympic Committees (UANOC); Dr Bassil Al Shaer, member and rapporteur of the supervision and follow-up committee; Nabil Ashour and Ayoub Al Shukri, Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the tournament’s technical follow-up committee; and a number of representatives of various Arab and national sports federations.

The visiting delegation was received by Major General Salem Obaid Al Shamsi, Chairman of Sharjah Sports Club, who commended Sharjah’s role in promoting women’s sports in the UAE and the Arab world by hosting the prestigious sporting events. He also praised SWS and AWST’s Supreme Organising Committee for their efforts in making the tournament a great success in the region.

The main sports hall and shooting hall at SWS will host team training sessions as well as the tournament’s competitions in basketball, volleyball and shooting (Rifle and Pistol 10m). Basketball training and competitions will take place at the Semnan branch of the Sharjah Sports Club while its Hazana branch will host the karate, table tennis and fencing competitions.

The training and competitions in pistol 25m shooting will be held at Al Dhaid Sports Club while Al Thiqah Club for Handicapped is the venue for the athletics and archery training and competitions. The Sharjah Equestrian and Racing Club will host the training and competitions of equestrian and show jumping.

The basketball and volleyball training and competitions will take place at the Sajaya Young Ladies of Sharjah, Wasit Youth Centre, University of Sharjah and American University of Sharjah. The fencing training will be hosted at the Sharjah Children (Al Jazat) and Sharjah Youth Centre, while the karate training will be held at the Sharjah Self-Defense Sports Club.

Nada Askar Al Naqbi, Deputy Head of AWST’s Supreme Organising Committee, Head of AWST’s Executive Committee and Director General of SWS, said: “We are gearing up to welcome our fraternal Arab sportswomen to Sharjah for this sporting event, through which we are translating the vision of His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan Bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, and the directives of Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher Bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, wife of His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah and Chairperson of SWS.

“Our facilities that will host both the training and competitions of AWST have been readied in accordance with the highest standards of excellence and efficiency. These sports venues will set the stage for transcending Arab women’s sports to a new and higher level.”

“The sport facilities that will host the competitions and training have been professionally assessed in terms of meeting the requirements of each sport, and ensuring the presence of the right amenities, infrastructure and high technical standards of all equipment, including those used by the referee staff. We look forward to hosting the competitions in February and are certain that it will be a defining tournament that advances women’s sports in the pan-Arab region,” she added.

The first edition of AWST was held in 2012 under the directive of Sheikha Jawaher. The pan-Arab tournament is held biennially with the aim of furthering women’s sports in the Arab region. SWS is currently preparing for its fifth edition, which will take place in February 2020. More than 65 women sports clubs from more than 15 Arab countries have competed on the AWST platform since the tournament’s inception.