Dr. Saber Al Hamrouni speaks during a workshop at the Sharjah Women's Sports Foundation headquarters.

Gulf Today, Staff Reporter

A workshop on mental and psychological preparation for athletes organized by the Sharjah Women's Sports Foundation kicked off on Monday.

Taking place at the Sharjah Women's Sports Foundation headquarters, the six-day workshop will conclude on Saturday.

The workshop aims to raise awareness of the importance of psychological and mental preparation for all female players, technical and administrative staff, and work teams from the Sharjah Women's Sports Foundation's various departments, as well as to enhance the concepts of self-confidence and overcome all fears that the athlete may face before competing in sports competitions.

On the opening day of the workshop, Dr. Saber Al Hamrouni, a sports psychologist, spoke about the stages of mental and psychological preparation for athletes, as well as the steps taken to achieve the desired goals, based on his expertise and practical experience accompanying many teams and athletes to major events and Olympic Games, where they achieved numerous successes and titles.

Salim Al Saidi, head of the planning and technical follow-up department at Sharjah Women's Sports Foundation, stressed that mental preparation for athletes accounts for nearly 30% of the achievement, which is of interest to all employees in the sports system, including athletes, coaches, and administrators, because of its positive ramifications, which are evident in its role when registering successes and distinguishing results.

He also stressed that mental preparation helps athletes’ deal with different situations during competitions that require training and preparation in advance.

Saidi revealed that in the next stage, experts in various sports sciences will address the workshop.

He emphasized Sharjah Women's Sports Foundation's eagerness to host such workshops and scientific seminars in the presence of a group of sports experts from different fields.