About 2,500 players will take part in the fifth edition of the Sharjah Labor Sports Tournament.

Gulf Today, Staff Reporter

SHARJAH: The Sharjah Labor Standards Development Authority (LSDA) on Tuesday announced the launch of the much-anticipated fifth edition of the Sharjah Labor Sports Tournament.

The tournament will kick off on January 7 and continue till March 25, 2022. The matches will take place on Friday at the sports fields of Sharjah National Park, opposite Sharjah International Airport, from 7 a.m. until 5:30 p.m.

Organized by LSDA, the Sharjah Labor Sports Tournament will be held in cooperation with the Sharjah Sports Council, Sharjah Sports Club, and the organizing company, "Reach Target."

Padel tennis has been added as another sport to the tournament this year. About 2,500 players will take part in the competition. In total, 195 teams will compete in six sports disciplines. In football, cricket, and padel tennis competitions, 40 teams are in the fray. Twenty teams will vie for honours in basketball, while another 20 teams will participate in volleyball and hockey events, respectively.

Teams are to be divided into different groups, and whoever finishes first and second in each group will be selected to play in the final rounds. Like in the previous editions, the winners of the fifth Sharjah Labour Sports Tournament will be crowned in a closing ceremony with cash prizes and gifts worth Dhs250,000 disbursed among them.

Salem Yousef Al Qaseer, LSDA chairman, said: "Similar to the previous editions, we are once again expecting a huge turnout from the workers and staff of government and private sectors at the fifth edition."

He stressed that the tournament would adhere to all precautionary measures laid down by the UAE health authorities.

Qaseer expressed his satisfaction over the success of the previous editions and the objectives achieved by hosting the tournament.

This tournament is the first of its kind in the country. It seeks to promote the idea of teamwork, on which sports are based, and to strengthen cooperation and close relationships between workers and employers.

He urged all the companies and institutions to participate in the tournament by providing their staff and workers the opportunity to take part in it on Friday, the day it is held.

The tournament is organized in line with the LSDA’s strategic plan, set forth by His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan Bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, to establish sports as a lifestyle and a means of entertainment for workers, "said the LSDA chairman.

He added that the tournament contributes to achieving the LSDA’s objectives under the direct supervision of Sheikh Sultan Bin Mohammed Bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Crown Prince and Deputy Ruler of Sharjah and Chairman of the Executive Council. He also thanked the partners from the public and private sectors who contributed to the success of the previous editions.

On his part, Tariq Salem Al Khanbashi, Founder and Director of Reach Target Sports Services, expressed his pride at being selected by LSDA to organize the tournament, noting that the success of the previous editions of the tournament will lead to the success of the fifth edition.

"Our goal is to contribute to the advancement of labor sports in Sharjah as a healthy lifestyle. The tournament's goal is to instill a love of sports in the workers.We are all ready to go,” he added.