Faris Al Mutawa with Thomas Bach, President of the International Olympic Committee.

Gulf Today, Sports Reporter

Faris Al Mutawa, Secretary General of the UAE National Olympic Committee, affirmed that the UAE is an effective partner for major sports institutions and entities, thanks to its tremendous capabilities and potential in terms of infrastructure, state-of-the-art sports facilities.

Mutawa appreciated the wise leadership's support for the sports sector and the national Olympic movement, which has established an enabling and motivating environment for sustainable sports development, thanks to modern and flexible strategies that are aligned with the orientations of international sports organizations. These organizations have always preferred the UAE to host their various events.

This came during Mutawa’s meeting with Thomas Bach, President of the International Olympic Committee, on the sidelines of the opening ceremony of the 4th Winter Youth Olympic Games, currently being held in Gangwon, South Korea.

The games are witnessing the participation of 1900 male and female athletes from 80 National Olympic Committees until February 1.

The UAE is participating with Amina Al Mehri and Alex Streed in the snowboarding and freestyle skiing competitions respectively.

Mutawa conveyed the greetings of Sheikh Ahmed Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Second Deputy Ruler of Dubai, President of the UAE National Olympic Committee, to Bach.

He stressed the committee's commitment and keenness to spread Olympic values and work to implement its three key principles of friendship, excellence and respect.

Mutawa reviewed the most important milestones in the committee's journey over the past period, including major events on the agenda of major sports forums. He praised the level of organization of the Winter Olympics in South Korea, which reflects the International Olympic Committee's focus on youth through dedicating independent competitions for them within the Summer and Winter Olympics program. Over the past ten years, these competitions have been an ideal starting point for these athletes, especially the 2022 Winter Games in Beijing, which featured 341 athletes including 83 who participated in the 3rd Winter Youth Olympics in Lausanne in 2020.

During his meeting with Bach, the Secretary General of the UAE National Olympic Committee pointed out that the UAE is preparing to host the first edition of the Gulf Youth Games in April.

This implements the proposal of Sheikh Ahmed to hold consolidated games for Gulf youth, believing in their potential for excellence. It aims to build promising generations of athletes in the Gulf countries, who will then compete in major continental and Olympic competitions. This aligns with the orientations of the International Olympic Committee and its clear interest in this important category.