"Future of Sports Retreat" explores ways to foster sports culture among UAE youth

H.E. Dr. Sultan Al-Neyadi: The 'Future of Sports Retreat' was a strategic step to enhance the physical and mental well-being of youth.

• The session evaluated ways to boost participation of youth in sports activities and highlighted opportunities and challenges in its efforts. It further explored ways to instil sports culture among the nation's youth.
• It highlighted government and community initiatives that provide an encouraging environment for young people to actively participate in sports activities and shed light on the need for providing different sports activities targeting all age groups.
• It explored ways to collaborate with young influencers on social media to promote youth sports culture and examined success stories from various countries in this regard.
• The session emphasised the need to raise awareness on engaging in physical activity by leveraging means that are appropriate for youth and adolescent groups and to offer vital resources to expand youth sports activities.
• It discussed the significance of active collaboration between educational, sports and youth institutions to support young sports talents and country's athletes.
• It proposed joint initiatives between the Ministry of Sports and the Federal Youth Authority to offer training programs and support to young people at different educational levels to boost their sporting talents.

UAE, Tuesday, October 22, 2024: The ‘Future of Sports Retreat’, organised by the Ministry of Sports, hosted an exclusive session titled ‘Youth and Sports’, which was chaired by His Excellency Dr. Sultan bin Saif Al Neyadi, Minister of State for Youth Affairs. The session witnessed the participation of selected young leaders from the UAE and several officials from the country’s sports sector.

The session thoroughly evaluated and highlighted opportunities and challenges in the efforts to promote youth participation in sports activities at the community level as well as professional and competitive sports. Furthermore, it underscored the significance of fostering sports culture among young people.

H.E. Dr. Sultan Al Neyadi, Minister of State for Youth Affairs, said: "The wise leadership of the UAE consistently emphasizes the importance of enhancing quality of life through sports, as it is a key element in building a healthy and cohesive society. It also empowers youth and provides all the necessary means to strengthen their abilities to represent the nation in international sports events. This approach sees sports as one of the most significant platforms for global representation by focusing on talent development and raising the sports sector's standards in alignment with the national vision to achieve excellence in this field."

H.E. added: "The 'Future of Sports Retreat' is a strategic step to emphasize the importance of community sports as a lifestyle and a key factor in improving the physical and mental health of youth. This retreat contributed to innovative and comprehensive plans focused on building a sustainable and diverse sports ecosystem that includes all age groups, with an emphasis on empowering Emirati youth, developing their sports skills, and enhancing specialized infrastructure that enables young talents to achieve their ambitions both locally and internationally."

The session further explored ways to boost the existing options for young people to engage in various exercises. It reviewed government and community initiatives that are contributing to creating an encouraging environment for physical activity. During the session, participants also stressed the necessity of increasing the involvement of young individuals from diverse sections of society in community sports activities that target all youth age groups.

In addition, the session assessed the possibility of collaborating with young influencers on social media to instil a culture of sports among youth. It further emphasised the significance of developing a framework for partnerships with key authorities to help influencers share content that inspires young people and raises community awareness on the importance of participating in sports and incorporating it into a daily lifestyle. Additionally, the Youth and Sports session examined the success stories of different countries in this field and urged participants to take inspiration from them to raise awareness on sports.

The session explored ways to balance academic education with sports professionalism, in line with an aim to develop professional sports pathways for young people. Participants also discussed different policies that could be employed to assist young athletes to grow in the field without interfering with their academic and educational paths. These policies include educational programs on volunteerism and community sports that help them develop their skills and strike a balance between both paths.

The session concluded by drawing out key recommendations aimed at promoting the culture of sports among young people, such as raising awareness on the significance of physical activities, leveraging various means appropriate for the youth and adolescent group, and providing necessary resources to expand the range of sports activities allocated to different communities in all emirates. Furthermore, it highlighted the pivotal role of establishing partnerships between educational, sports and youth institutions to support young sports talents of the country. It proposed to develop a joint sports centre between the Ministry of Sport and the Federal Youth Authority to offer training programs that support young people at different educational levels and contribute to the development of sports skills and improvement of emerging talents.