Shaikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, Wife of HH the Ruler of Sharjah and Chairperson of Sharjah Women’s Sports (SWS), witnessed the opening ceremony of the fifth edition of Arab Women Sports Tournament (AWST) on Sunday.
78 clubs from 18 Arab countries have participated in AWST 2020, according to Emirates News Agency (WAM).
The tournament is organized by SWS and runs until February 12 across various sporting venues in Sharjah.
Shaikha Jawaher Al Qasimi highlighted the regional importance of the tournament, and the key role it plays in supporting sportswomen’s dreams and ambitions.
She thanked His Highness Shaikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, for continuously supporting women through directives to provide all that is necessary to empower them in all fields.
"Through your determination and intensive efforts, you and your peers in the Arab world have achieved many feats that make us proud. Arab sportswomen are successfully changing the realities of the region by following their dreams with resolve; rewriting traditional narratives of duty and achievement attributed to Arab women,” HH said.
“This tournament furthers Sharjah’s commitment to making sports more inclusive and accessible to women, a pillar of the region’s development journey and a bridge between cultures."
AWST 2020 has recorded the largest-ever GCC participation in the tournament’s history. The UAE tops this list with 15 clubs who will be competing across AWST’s nine sporting categories: shooting, basketball, volleyball, table tennis, athletics, show jumping, fencing, archery and karate. The next biggest participation is by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) with 12 clubs who are represented in all sports except shooting. A total of eight clubs from Bahrain will partake in all games excluding show jumping. Six Kuwaiti clubs are participating in shooting, basketball, volleyball, table tennis, athletics and karate, while three clubs from Oman will compete in shooting and athletics.
