Today's Edition
Abu Dhabi (Aletihad)
The secondary phase of the second UAE School Games is set to begin next week across disciplines in both private and public schools across the country.
Under the leadership of Dr. Ahmed Belhoul Al Falasi, Minister of Sports, the Games are organised by the UAE Sports Federation for the Institutions of School and University Education, in partnership with the sports ministry, UAE National Olympic Committee, Ministry of Education, and other stakeholders.
This season is featuring 12 sports, with table tennis and chess added to the previous schedule, following a survey conducted by the federation, and which included football, swimming, athletics, judo, taekwondo, jiu-jitsu, archery, fencing, badminton, and shooting. A long registration window has allowed for more applicants with the process beginning in October and running until the mid-month of January. The age categories have also been expanded to ensure broader student participation across all levels.
This high-level school sports competition highlights the UAE's commitment to discovering and nurturing exceptional athletic talent, while also encouraging the broader development of sports across the country. Designed to inspire youth to embrace active and healthy lifestyles, the UAE School Games play a crucial role in increasing sports participation nationwide.
The UAE federation's Secretary-General, Sheikh Suhail bin Butti Al Maktoum, said: "The School Games exemplify the Ministry of Sports' dedication to fostering sports as a strong foundation for developing national athletes. It plays a crucial role in achieving the objectives outlined in the National Sports Strategy 2031, notably the goal of having over 30 Emirati players who qualify for the 2032 Summer Olympics.
"Schools are pivotal in nurturing the next generation of professional athletes across diverse sporting disciplines. The goal is to foster a generation of highly skilled athletes capable of achieving remarkable success at the Olympic, continental, and international levels."
After holding a successful trial edition, when 1,681 pupils took part, the first edition of this championship attracted over 3,500 young participants. Notably, female participation has surged, with their participation rates reaching 62% in badminton, 52% in archery, 70% in laser shooters, and 52% in taekwondo. This demonstrates the championship's strong commitment to empowering female athletes and providing them with a platform to excel in sports.
Female participation has significantly increased, nearly tripling from 629 to 1,619 students. The representation share among private and public schools has been fairly balanced at 51 and 49 percentage points. Regarding diversity, 56% of the participants were UAE citizens, 25% were Asian nationalities, 13% were Arab expatriates, and 6% represented European and other nationalities.
During this period, all organisational tasks were completed, including distributing circulars to both public and private schools, coordinating meetings with partners, informing schools about participation criteria, selecting venues for the preliminary competitions, and registering participating students. The first phase, which is currently in progress, with students engaging in training and competitive programs at the school level across various sports in all Emirates.
The second phase, which will take place from February to mid-April, will see students competing at the regional level in each Emirate. The final stage will see the event spot the podium placings decided in May.
The first edition's finals were held at the Dubai Exhibition Centre in Expo City Dubai last May where the minister Al Falasi honoured all those who won the first three places in 10 sports, bringing the total number of students who qualified for the finals to 772 out of 1840.
