Members of the Sharjah Women’s Sports Club pose for a picture with Hanan Al Mahmoud, Noura Al Shamsi, and other dignitaries.

Gulf Today, Sports Reporter

UAE clinch 24 medals at 7th edition of Arab Women Sports Tournament

The Arab Women Sports Tournament (AWST 2024) has successfully concluded the seventh edition, setting new benchmarks for excellence and showcasing the significant strides in the development of women’s sports in the Arab World.

This prestigious event brought together 15 Arab nations, represented by 63 clubs competing in eight sports disciplines. The impressive medal tally from the 12-day event serves as a testament to the growing prowess and Olympic aspirations of Arab sportswomen.

UAE athletes were among the standout performers, securing a remarkable total of 24 medals, which included 10 gold, eight silver, and six bronze.

They clinched seven medals in karate (four gold, two silver, and one bronze) and nine in fencing (four gold, three silver, and two bronze), in addition to securing six medals in archery, distributed equally between gold, silver, and bronze. Moreover, they achieved one silver medal in athletics and a bronze in volleyball.

Bahraini athletes also made headlines with their dominant performances, claiming 23 medals across eight sports disciplines.

Track and field athletes were the most successful, securing 14 medals, comprising nine gold and five silver, in addition to a gold and one silver in table tennis, two gold in shooting, and a gold and a bronze in archery. They also won one silver in volleyball and a bronze each in basketball and fencing.

Egypt demonstrated their prowess in volleyball unmistakably, with the Sporting Club clinching the championship title through a clean sweep in the finals against Kuwait’s Salwa Alsabah Club, who bagged the silver, while Sharjah Women’s Sports Club proudly took home the bronze.

In basketball, Jordan emerged victorious, with Al-Fuhais club defeating Syria’s Al-Thawra club 72-50 in the final, leaving the Syrian champion with the silver and Bahrain’s Al-Ahli club taking the bronze.

The fencing championship saw Emirati athletes excel, securing nine medals. UAE fencers clinched three golds in Epee, Foil, and Sabre, with an additional bronze in the latter. In the individual competitions, Emirati fencers secured gold and silver medals in Sabre, silver in Epee, and silver and bronze in Foil.

In archery, the UAE secured the largest haul with six medals, distributed equally between gold, silver, and bronze, followed by Saudi Arabia with gold and silver, Bahrain with gold and bronze, and Kuwait with bronze.

The shooting tournament was dominated by Bahrain, with notable victories in the 10m air pistol and 10m air rifle.

Bahraini shooters secured the gold medal in the 10m air pistol, Kuwait bagged the silver, and Oman clinched the bronze. In the 10m air rifle, the silver went to Qatari shooters, and the bronze to Kuwait.

In table tennis, Egypt won four medals (1 gold, 2 silver, and 1 bronze), while Bahrain secured a gold and a silver. Syrian athletes took home a gold and a bronze, and Jordan and Kuwait each claimed a bronze.

In Karate’s Kumite and Kata competitions, the UAE led with seven medals (four gold, two silver, and one bronze) on the country level. Among clubs, the Syrian club Nasib topped the ranking with eight medals (two gold, one silver, and five bronze), followed by Sharjah’s UAE club with four medals (two gold, one silver, and one bronze), and Dubai’s Al-Ahli in third place with three medals (two gold, one silver).

The Kuwaiti Al Fatat secured fourth place with a total of five medals (one gold, two silver, and two bronze). Iraq’s Peshmerga Club came in fifth with four medals (one silver and three bronze).

Following in sixth place was the Libyan Al-Ittihad with a tally of one silver medal. The Saudi Al-Ittihad Club achieved seventh place with three bronze medals, and in eighth place was the Yemeni Balqis Club with one bronze medal.

Bahraini sportswomen dominated the athletics tournament with a total of 14 medals, consisting of nine gold and five silver medals.

Egypt secured second place with nine coloured medals, including three gold, two silver, and four bronze. Iraq came in third with a total of 14 medals, made up of two gold, six silver, and six bronze. Lebanon ranked fourth with two gold medals, followed by Libya with one gold medal.

Oman garnered two silver medals and one bronze, the UAE won a silver medal, Kuwait achieved three bronze medals, and both Syria and Jordan each obtained one bronze medal.