General Authority of Sports and UAE Badminton Federation discuss potential future partnerships

H.E Sheikh Suhail bin Butti Al Maktoum, Executive Director of the Sports Development Sector at General Sports Authority, met with Noura Al Jasmi, President of the Emirates Badminton Federation and Ghazi Al Madani, Secretary General of the Federation, to devise strategies that facilitate the discovery of new talents and enhance the presence of badminton in the community. The meeting was attended by the Board of Directors of the UAE Badminton Federation, which was established in December. The body commenced its operations by hosting the inaugural board meeting at the Authority's headquarters.

H.E Sheikh Suhail bin Butti Al Maktoum said: “In line with the governmental directives and the Authority’s strategic objectives, the Authority is committed to enhancing the role of the federation in fostering a culture of community sports. Our partnership with the new federation aims to leverage the growing popularity of badminton to draw and nurture more talents.”

“The Authority encourages the efforts of the federation in determining the most effective governance mechanisms in promoting community sports culture. The federation is collaborating with various government and private entities, and several sports institutions, especially the UAE Sports Federation for School and University Education Institutions, as badminton is one of the key sports included in the school games project. This will further aid in achieving their objectives of enhancing the technical and physical skills of athletes and assisting them in reaching new milestones,” he added.

From her side, Noura Al Jasmi said: “We commend the assistance offered by the General Authority of Sports for various federations. We expect that the coming years would present us with more achievements and enable us to hoist the UAE’s flag in various continental and international forums. Furthermore, the federation intends to form partnerships with various sports institutions and organise more local and international championships that adheres to the international sports standards, further bolstering the UAE’s global presence in the sector.”

Additionally, the statistics revealed over 10,000 badminton players in the UAE and 150 first and second level referees, as well as Emirati international referees, four local club centers, and over 40 authorised academies. This demonstrates the significant presence of sports in society and improved growth prospects for the sector.

The meeting further covered the significance of empowering coaches, as well as guaranteeing effective preparation of national teams. The meeting also intends to support the school games project by implementing the strategies devised by the federations within schools to identify and nurture new talents.

The establishment of five new federations, including the UAE Badminton Federation, Emirates Canoe and Rafting Federation, UAE Darts Federation, UAE Modern Pentathlon Federation, and UAE Netball Federation was approved by the General Authority of Sports.