The UAE Sports Federation for Schools and University Education Institutions has launched the ‘School Games’ program to nurture young talent in sports.
This program will offer training at the grassroots level in special centers, open to both Emiratis and expatriates. These centers will develop, prepare, and qualify students aged 9-14 in 8 sports, judo, shooting, fencing, athletics, archery, swimming, badminton, and taekwondo.
The special centers will open from 15 February for 3 sports, swimming, badminton, and athletics. They will be supervised by a team of qualified coaches in collaboration with different sports federations and the Emirates Schools Establishment (ESE).
Overall, there’ll be two types of School Games programs, a competitive program, and a training program. The competitive program is divided into three levels for ages 15-17.
The first level starts with competitions within schools. These will commence in the upcoming weeks. The second level will include schools competing in each of the UAE’s major emirates, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, and Northern Emirates, at the beginning of May.
Around mid-May, the national finals, also known as the third level, will recognize all national champions.
According to the Federation’s Secretary General, Sheikh Suhail Bin Butti Al Maktoum, the goal is to unearth talent, and promote sports participation and competitiveness across the country.
