GAS launches ‘UAE Award for Community Sports Events’ to foster sports culture among individuals and institutions

The General Authority for Sports (GAS) has launched the ‘UAE Award for Community Sports Events,’ an initiative designed to inspire all members of society to engage in sports and physical activities. The award aims to motivate sports bodies, government institutions, and the private sector to provide top-notch sports facilities and equipment. Furthermore, it seeks to organise and host community sports events, ensuring access for various groups in society to elevate their quality of life and physical and mental health.

The launch of this award aligns with the Authority’s strategy to foster a culture of sports in different communities and encourage regular exercise. By recognising exceptional efforts in community sports and fortifying sectoral collaborations, the award seeks to raise public and institutional understanding of the significance of embracing sports as a lifestyle. The primary objective is to achieve the goals of the National Sports Strategy 2031, which include raising the percentage of the population engaging in physical activity to 75 per cent by 2031.

Ahmed Al Abdouli, Director of Community Sports Management at GAS, said: “With the General Authority for Sport's strategy, we seek to instil the value of exercising as part of a healthy lifestyle in the minds of UAE community members. This new award, which comes as part of the transformative project ‘UAE: Destination for Sports Events’, focuses on raising awareness about the key role of exercise among the members of society. Furthermore, it will contribute to the inculcation and consolidation of the right sports concepts by providing innovative community sports programs and strengthen the foundation of sports practitioners in the community and developing a healthy, dynamic and cohesive society.”

The awards focus on recognising individuals and institutions in a variety of categories. For individuals, it includes three categories. The first is for identifying promising young athletes in the field of community sports who exhibit outstanding sporting abilities and are expected to have a remarkable future in their field while setting an example for other young people in society. The second category focuses on active and prominent sportswomen who have made significant achievements in community sports and have made significant contributions to the promotion and empowerment of women’s role in the sports community. The final category is for a community sports pioneer who is over 60 years of age and is a sports practitioner or active contributor to the advancement of community sports.

At the institutional level, the award will be given in two categories. The first category is finding the best community sports initiative for sports federations and that has a positive impact on society and the second category aims to recognise the best media outlet that contributes to disseminating a culture of community sports in order to reinforce its significance among members of society. The participants and the winners will be selected by a jury composed of experts specialising in sports and institutional excellence while adhering to the specific criteria announced.

All individuals who work in the sports sector and in organisations that promote sports are invited to apply for and take part in the award, according to the Authority. The Director General of GAS will present cash prizes and certificates of appreciation to the winners of each of the five categories at a big ceremony that takes place at the Authority's headquarters. All media outlets will receive invitations from GAS to attend and cover the awards ceremony.

Individuals and institutions seeking to participate in the awards can visit the website of GAS via the following link: https://gas.gov.ae/#/en/uae-sports-event-award, for the terms of registration. The last day for receiving applications is July 26, 2024, and the winners will be announced during the honouring ceremony, which is scheduled for July 30, 2024.