The National Paints Company team players pose for a picture with Salem Yousef Al Qaseer and other dignitaries after the presentation ceremony.

Gulf Today, Staff Reporter

National Paints Company team clinched the football title as the third edition of the Sharjah Labour Sports Tournament ended on a successful note.

The National Paints Company team defeated Fast Building Contracting 1-0 in the final of the competition.

The match saw both teams failing to convert clear-cut chances in the first-half. National Paints Company, the better side in terms of possession, finally broke the deadlock in the dying minutes of the game to emerge winner.The third place went to Sharjah Police team, who thrashed Sharjah Civil Defence 4-0.

organised by the Labour Standards Development Authority in Sharjah in cooperation with the Sharjah Sports Council and Reach Target Company for Sports Services, the one of the longest tournaments of the Emirate witnessed the participation from 120 teams representing various government and private sectors.

Competitions took place in five different sports categories where 30 football teams, 21 basketball teams, 33 cricket, 21 volleyball teams, and 15 hockey teams battled for the top honours. The tournament was aimed at promoting sports and fitness among workers, and dedicating the concept of sport as a way of lifestyle among them, as part of the authority’s endeavour to enhance the work environment.

The final matches of the volleyball competition were played earlier.

Success Ponit team finished on top while IVL A took second spot and IVL B had to contend with third place.

The closing ceremony took place at the Sharjah National Park.

Salem Yousef Al Qaseer, Chairman of the Labour Standards Development Authority in Sharjah, hailed the success of the third edition. He was impressed with the high level of performance displayed by the players in the finals.

“Organisng a labour sports tournament is a unique idea reflecting the culture of coexistence that characterizes the Emirati people. Boosting the human resources is a main goal that the Labour Standards Development Authority seeks to achieve, in implementation of the vision of His Highness Dr Sheikh Sultan Bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, calling for giving priority to the development of human resources.

“The tournament was able to achieve part of our strategic goals aimed at providing an attractive work environment for workers and employers, so that they can unleash their talents in an atmosphere full of competition and challenge. We were pleased with the remarkable increase in the number of participants and the improvement in the technical level of the players. We will further develop the coming editions of the tournament, to make it a model to be followed at the local and international levels,” Qaseer added.

Qaseer said the success of the third edition of the Labour Sports Tournament encourages the expansion of activities to include in future new sports and wider participation. He also thanked all those who contributed to the success of the tournament, and called on all public and private sectors to participate in the next edition of the tournament, to spread the culture of sports and improve the environment for workers.