Greetings from Abu Dhabi! I am here as a speaker for a major international conference for Women in Sports.
21-22 April , 2013, the Emirates Palace Hotel, Abu Dhabi
About the Academy:
The academy was established on October 10th, 2010 in Abu Dhabi, UAE by virtue of the decree No. (2) of 2010 issued by the chairman of Abu Dhabi Sports Council under ‘Fatima bint Mubarak Ladies Sports Academy.
Directives of Her Highness Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak
Upon directives from Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Chairwoman of the General Women’s Union, Chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation and Chairwoman of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood, UAE Women’s Sport Committee announced the establishment of Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Sports Academy in order to prepare and qualify ladies, girls, and female executives to work in women’s sport fields, and to establish and constitute women’s sports teams that would be able to achieve great results that could add to the women’s sport progress in the future stage.
Conference Purpose:
The role of the female athlete has recently expanded in the world of sports. Up until the 1920’s there were only a few women who were allowed to participate at the Olympic level. Fast forwarding to the most recent achievements made by female athletes during the 2012 games, we can see that almost fifty percent participation has been achieved by women in all sports. The latest challenge is understanding the issues faced by a new generation of female athletes from Islamic countries. As the only conference of its kind in the UAE and in most of the Islamic Cooperation Council countries, the aspiration of the conference is to be a driver of transformation within the area of the development of female athletes. This will be done by the early adoption of physical activity and a healthy lifestyle by women from an early age. The conference will begin planting the seeds that will pave the way to progress the role of females in sports both locally and internationally with a moderate focus on balancing cultural and social barriers by gaining an overall understanding of the challenges faced by women in sports.
Objectives of the Conference:
- To understand and discuss the barriers women in sports face
- To highlight the role of sports in improving women’s social and physical well being
- To define the role of the women’s associations in encouraging women to practice sport activities
- To identify the important aspects of sports infrastructure for women
- To understand the limitations and opportunities for disabled athletes
- To understand the importance of promoting the achievements of female athletes
- To understand the international/ regional and local perspective of sports for women
- To highlight the key needs of what it takes to become an Olympic level athlete
- To highlight how young girls can be encouraged to participate more actively in sports
- To inspire working groups that will be the drivers for change
Agenda of the Conference:
The two days of the conference will be divided into four panels, centered around the following topics:
21 April 2013
Day 1- Panel 1: Sports for All
The panel aims to explore the social dimension of sports, defining it as an activity that enables individuals to develop their own performances and live up to their maximum potential, while highlighting the numerous benefits of a healthy lifestyle. Sports development is a change agent, in that it multiplies opportunities for all members of the community. Departing from such a perspective, the panel will discuss the role of the family in enhancing ladies sports participation through UAE and International experiences, while it will aim to draw greater attention to the role of sports in the context of the well-being of persons and the role of leadership that affects the progress of further growth in the field of sports. The panel will further address the importance of United Nations’ support in building a peaceful and inclusive society for all, through various studies and initiatives throughout time.
Panelists will be either individuals or representatives from relevant sectors and will be brought together to discuss the cross-sectoral opportunities emerging and work towards a common vision.
21 April 2013
Day 1- Panel 2: Creating Olympic Athletes
This panel will establish ways to support female athletes of realistically medal winning capabilities and potential to make it to the next Olympic/Paralympic Games. In order to do so, it will explore ways to identify and develop talented athletes in the local community. It will further help track the route to achieving excellence in sport, by discussing relevant innovative projects. Finally the panel is expected to reveal how to create a system that allows for maximizing the opportunities to breed more UAE Champions, making them capable of competing and winning on the world stage, cleanly and fairly.
22 April 2013
Day 2-Panel 1: Golden Champion…Participation to Achievements
This panel will stress on the added value of awards passing in promoting sports participation and involvement in the sports industry, constituting a motivation factor for both athletes and professionals in the sports sector. The importance of integrating special and specific awards and recognition to enhance the motivation of current and future athletes will be highlighted at a local and international level as well as providing the delegates an increased understanding of the different ways awards recognition can attain a stronger commitment towards sports.
Panelists will share their personal success story of receiving a medal, as well as their professional experience in establishing international annual sports awards.
Day 2
22 April 2013
Day 2 –Panel 2: Sports Facilities
The presence of sports facilities offered to the public nowadays, with the contribution of modern technologies and the information era should encourage participation. Such a reality more than justifies the importance of sports in supporting physical activity, necessary for the individual’s mental and physical health. Turning to the experiences of different cities, it becomes possible to explore whether specific facility deals produce more public benefits. This panel will explore the spectrum of infrastructure opportunities, drawing upon good examples from around the globe, aiming to share the experience on how to build and successfully manage the best sports facilities, with actual international examples. It will do so, while staying along the lines of the sustainability discourse and seeking to raise awareness on related environmental issues.
Conference delegates:
The conference will bring together 750 national and international delegates: social leaders, education institutions, policy makers, sports organizations and famous brands.
Good luck! Go women!