General Authority of Sports Selects 63 Candidates to Be Trained to Serve on Executive Committees or Boards of Sports Federations and Authorities

• The candidates were selected from among the registrants on the Emirates Platform for Future Sports Leaders.
• The selection marks the beginning of the process to train national talents to work across all sports sectors.
• H.E. Ahmad Belhoul Al Falasi: Investing in Emirati talents and empowering them to take part in leading the UAE sports sector is key for driving landmark accomplishments in the future.
• The Emirates Platform for Future Sports Leaders: 
• Attracted 212 applicants, 35% of whom are PhD or Master’s Degree holders
• 27% of applications submitted through the platform were from women
• 45% of applicants have experience in the sports sector
• Applications are put through a meticulous process and evaluated against four criteria: academic qualifications, sports sector experience, information included in the candidate’s CV, and age group.
• Seeks to pump new blood into local systems
• Provides young Emiratis with the opportunity to play a part in leading the sports sector in the UAE
• An important component of the General Authority of Sports’ strategy to enhance governance in the sector
• An opportunity to highlight talented individuals capable of proposing constructive ideas and solutions to drive the sector to notable achievements

The General Authority of Sports has reported a tremendous turnout at the recently launched Emirates Platform for Future Sports Leaders, with 212 candidates looking to work in sports coming forward, 63 of whom were selected by a jury of experts to be trained and appointed to sports federations and authorities across the UAE.

Applicants had to complete a multi-stage process of evaluation, including one-on-one interviews. The Authority is now gearing up to launch the second phase of the Platform’s action plan, which consists of training applicants and appointing them to various teams – including strategic planning, legal affairs, and media, among others – where their skills and expertise can be channelled towards developing the sports ecosystem in the UAE, and accelerate the country’s journey towards outstanding athletic achievement.

“Talented Emirati youth have demonstrated their extraordinary ability to develop key sectors in the country and lead them towards playing a bigger part in boosting the UAE’s performance on major global competitiveness indicators, in line with the leadership’s vision,” said His Excellency Dr Ahmad Belhoul Al Falasi, Chairman of the General Authority of Sports. “Young Emiratis today are invited to lead the country’s sports ecosystem, employ their expertise and leadership skills in the field, and to come forward with constructive ideas and solutions to drive the sector in the future.”

“The Emirates Platform for Future Sports Leaders is a significant step forward in the Authority’s strategy to enhance governance in the sector,” H.E. Al Falasi added. “It aims to pump new blood into the sports system, and to empower competent youth to play their part in enhancing the Emirati sports scene and leading it towards greater success. The great turnout we had within a short period of time is a testament to the importance of this initiative, which provides an opportunity for national talents to take the lead in decision-making in the sports sector. What we are looking for goes beyond just adding new employees to carry out regular tasks; what we are looking for is quality, outstanding skills, and competent human capital.”

Strict Criteria for a More Efficient Selection

Applications submitted to the Platform were sorted into three categories: the Open category – which includes applicants with previous experience – Youth, and Women. A committee of experts in the field formed by the Authority studied each application, weighing it against four basic criteria: academic qualifications, sports sector experience, information included in the candidate’s CV, and age group.

136 Candidates in Phase One

A total of 136 candidates qualified for the first stage, 63 of whom were selected to move forward, based on strict criteria, including academic qualifications, field of specialisation, approach to presenting and discussing ideas, personal traits, and ideas proposed to develop and enhance Emirati sports. In the final stage, the committee will hold orientation sessions on membership in sports federation boards, detailing the competencies of these boards in accordance with the Sports Federations Governance Guide approved by Decision of the Chairman of the General Authority of Sports No. (25) of 2021. Candidates will then be appointed within federations and sports organisations.

The General Authority of Sports launched the Platform in an effort to attract talented young nationals and empower them in various administrative and technical positions in sports federations – an initial step towards engaging citizens in the decision-making process in the sports sector.

The Platform allows future sports leaders to attract and embrace talented individuals in various sports disciplines, paving the way for future Emirati talents looking to join the national sports sector and lead it towards new accomplishments.

Promising Talents and Qualifications

Statistics revealed that 45% of applicants had experience in the sports sector and 27% of all applications submitted through the platform were from women.

Meanwhile, 35% of all applicants were either PhD or Master’s Degree holders. Strategic planning was the most sought-after option with 24% of applicants choosing it, followed by media in second place with 20% of applicants, and then legal affairs with 11%. The list of options also included marketing, financial affairs, and information technology, among other options, which combined accounted for 45% of all applications.