General Authority of Sports Celebrates Country’s Athletic Accomplishments on UAE Flag Day

The General Authority of Sports (GAS) has joined the Emirati people in their celebration of UAE Flag Day, organising an event at its Dubai headquarters where GAS employees and officials took part in numerous activities to express their pride, patriotism, and devotion to keeping the UAE’s flag flying high.

Also joining the event was the first-ever captain of the UAE National Football Team, the legendary Ahmed Issa, who led the Emirati team through the Arabian Gulf Cup in 1972 and was the first to carry the UAE flag in this GCC-wide championship, which fans and sports-sector decision makers across the region follow very closely.

Speaking at the event, His Excellency Saeed Abdul Ghaffar, Secretary-General of the General Authority of Sports, said: “Our celebrations for UAE Flag Day this year are especially significant given that they coincide with the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the UAE. We take this opportunity to reaffirm the Authority’s commitment to working towards greater achievements, and to empowering the future generation, providing them with everything they need to become champions and raise the UAE’s flag in every athletic competition.”

“Our Founding Fathers laid strong foundations for our Union, and today, our wise leadership continues to work according to their forward-thinking vision to position the UAE as a leader in every field,” H.E. added. “For our part in the sports sector, we will be working to train a generation of promising champions to compete, succeed, raise the UAE’s name and national flag, and cement the Emirates’ presence in all tournaments.”

H.E. Abdul Ghaffar noted that the presence and participation of the renowned UAE sports star Ahmed Issa is a symbolic gesture to honour the first generation of Emirati athletes, adding that “their presence with us today, where they share their experiences, will certainly have a tremendous impact towards supporting the UAE’s advancement in the sports sector.”

For his part, Captain Ahmed Issa said: “This historic moment will remain engraved in my mind; I will not forget it as long as I live. It was the first time we took part in a sports competition under the banner of our Union, just three months and 29 days after its establishment. Our participation marked the beginning of the UAE sports sector’s efforts towards national representation. It was very important to us as athletes.”

“I am proud and honoured to have raised the UAE flag for the first time in the Arabian Gulf Cup football championship,” Captain Issa added. “I was happy and proud that we were the only national team that was playing under the Emirati flag. This made that year’s participation near and dear to all of our hearts as athletes.”