Sheikh Khalid Bin Ahmed Al Qasimi (centre), Hanan Al Mahmoud (left) and Noura Al Shamsi during a press conference at Al Jada in Sharjah on Tuesday.

Sharjah is set to host the much-anticipated seventh edition of the Arab Women Sports Tournament (AWST), featuring 550 sportswomen forming 61 teams hailing from 14 countries. Organised by the Sharjah Women’s Sports Foundation, the prestigious event, held under the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher Bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, Wife of His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah and Chairperson of the Sharjah Women Sports, will take place from Feb.2 to 12, 2024.

The grand opening ceremony is scheduled for Feb.2, at the Al Majaz Amphitheatre with a thrilling set of performances and activities opened for the entire public to attend.

Highlighting the significance of this year’s tournament, the Higher Steering Committee of AWST announced the debut of the ‘International Conference of Medicine and Women Sports Sciences (Excel)’ on Feb.7. The conference, themed ‘Future Vision for Establishment, Development, and Achievements,’ will be the first of its kind initiative launched by SWS in the Arab world. Serving as a scientific platform, it focuses on research-driven techniques, solutions, and health programmes aimed at enhancing the performance of sportswomen. The event will bring together a distinguished lineup of Arab and international experts to discuss groundbreaking inventions and efficient solutions that elevate the capabilities and performance of Arab women athletes.

This announcement was made during a press conference held on Tuesday at Al Jada, Sharjah, with the presence of key figures including Sheikh Khalid Bin Ahmed Al Qasimi, Chairman of AWST Higher Steering Committee, Issa Hilal Al Hazami, Chairman of the Sharjah Sports Council, Hanan Al Mahmoud, Vice Chairman of AWST Higher Steering Committee, and Noura Al Shamsi, Director of AWST. The event witnessed the participation of government officials, members of the Sharjah Women’s Sports Club, and representatives from local and Arab media.

UAE, Iraq lead the charge: The Higher Steering Committee revealed that the UAE and Iraq are set to compete in eight and seven sports respectively of the upcoming edition of the tournament. These sports include volleyball, table tennis, basketball, shooting, archery, fencing, athletics, and karate. Bahrain will participate in all games except karate, Syria in all sports except shooting and archery, and Kuwait in all games except archery and fencing. Hosted by Hawra Al Ajami, a karate player, and Fajr Al Marzouqi, a fencing player, both champions at the Sharjah Women’s Sports Club and the UAE National Team, the conference disclosed that Iraq will be represented by eight teams, followed by Bahrain with six teams, Saudi Arabia and Syria with five teams each, the UAE with four teams, while Oman, Egypt, and Kuwait with three teams each. Additionally, Libya, Yemen, Qatar, and Sudan will each have one team.

Athletics takes centre stage: Athletics will witness the highest participation with 12 teams, followed by volleyball with nine teams, and basketball and karate with eight teams each. Volleyball ranks third with seven teams, while archery and fencing competitions will feature six teams each, and shooting will have five teams.

Eight sports entities to host competitions: The Higher Steering Committee highlighted that competitions will take place across eight sports entities in Sharjah. Sharjah Women’s Sports, Sharjah Club in Samnan, and Sharjah Club in Bataeh will host basketball training and competitions, while volleyball training and games will take place at Sharjah Women’s Sports and Khorfakkan Club.

Karate events will unfold at the Al Qarayan Children Center, while table tennis competitions will be held at Sharjah Club in Al Hazanah and Sharjah Women’s Sports, which will also host fencing.

Athletics competitions will be held at Al Thiqah Club after training at Sharjah Club in Al Hazanah, which will also accommodate archery training and games. Lastly, shooting training and games are scheduled at Al Thaid Club.