in Third Arab Women Sports Tournament

The United Arab Emirates will take part through four clubs in the 3rd Arab Women Sports Tournament - Sharjah 2016 (AWST), which will be hosted by the Emirate of Sharjah from February 2nd to 12th, 2016. The event will be held under the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, the wife of His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah, Chairman of the Supreme Council for Family Affairs. It is approved by the Union of Arab National Olympic Committees and the League of Arab States and organized by the Women Sports Department and Sharjah Ladies Club, and their
partners, the General Authority for Youth Welfare and Sports, the National Olympic Committee, and Sharjah Sports Council.

The list of UAE clubs includes Sharjah Ladies Club, Baniyas Club, Al Wasl Sports Club, and the Emirates Equestrian Center. Sharjah Ladies Club will participate in all eight sports included in the third edition, which are basketball, volleyball, shooting, fencing, table tennis, athletics, archery, and equestrian.

The distribution of competitions for UAE clubs will be as follows: Sharjah Ladies Club and Baniyas Club will compete in basketball, Sharjah Ladies Club and Al Wasl Sports Club will compete in volleyball, Baniyas Club and Sharjah Ladies Club will compete in fencing, the Emirates Equestrian Center and Sharjah Ladies Club will compete in equestrian while the UAE's participation in table tennis, athletics, and bow-and-arrow games will be limited to the host club, Sharjah Ladies Club.

For her part, Sheikha Shamsa Bint Hashr Al-Maktoum, the Board Member in the Arab Volleyball Federation, Chairwoman of the Women's Committee & Supervisor of Ladies Games in Al-Wasl Sports Club, stated that the strong presence of Arab clubs and participation of Emirati clubs is very significant as it serves women's sports in the UAE.

Sheikha Shamsa said: "We are looking forward to seeing our players from Emirati clubs on the various award podiums. The Emirati clubs participating in the Arab Women Sports Tournament are ready for the competitions, and most of the UAE's teams have participated in training camps locally and abroad, which has helped put the final technical touches to the tournament's organizational plan."

For his part, General Dr. Ahmed Nasser Al Reessy, Chairman of Baniyas Club, Chairman of the UAE Shooting Federation, noted that the 3rd Arab Women Sports Tournament is a perfect opportunity for UAE clubs to gain exposure and interact with different levels of Arab clubs, especially since the third edition will include the participation of 17 Arab countries represented by 55 clubs.

He added that the UAE clubs that will participate in the third edition have a strong chance to win titles and awards. He wished success to all Emirati players, as well as all countries and clubs participating in the edition, noting that the ultimate goal of the tournament is to hold fair competitions, promote good sportsmanship among all Arab countries, and advance women's sports in the Arab world.