Page 28 - MOS PR REPORT - January 2025

1/15/25, 9:41 AM Second edition of UAE School Games to kick off in January - Middle East News 247
surged, with their participation rates reaching 62 per cent in badminton, 52 per cent in archers, 70 per cent in
laser shooters, and 52 per cent in taekwondo. This demonstrates the championship’s strong commitment to

empowering female athletes and providing them with a platform to excel in sports.

Student participation surged in the second and third levels of the championship, soaring from 1,681 in the

trial edition to over 3,500 in the first official edition. Female participation significantly increased, nearly tripling
from 629 to 1,619 students. In its previous editions, the championship boasted a wide range of participants,

with approximately 51 per cent from private schools and 49 per cent from government schools. Regarding
diversity, 56 per cent of the participants were UAE citizens, 25 per cent were Asian nationalities, 13 per cent
were Arab expatriates, and 6 per cent represented European and other nationalities.

The championship has several key phases throughout the academic year. the registration period, began last
October and concluded in January 2025. 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 championship will culminate in May with students, who successfully advanced from the second stage,
competing for finals at the state level. Winners of the first three places will be awarded gold, silver, and

bronze medals.

The championship is the outcome of robust cooperation between the Ministry of Sports, the National Olympic

Committee, the Ministry of Education, the UAE Sports Federation for the Institutions of School and University
Education, the sports councils in the country, and all sports federations specialised in sports within the

championship. In addition, educational bodies such as the Knowledge and Human Development Authority,
the Department of Education and Knowledge, and the Sharjah Private Education Authority are key partners
in this championship.

The first edition of the School Games witnessed great success, with the finals held at the Dubai Exhibition
Centre in Expo City Dubai last May under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin

Rashid Al Maktoum, Second Deputy Ruler of Dubai and President of the UAE National Olympic Committee,
and in the presence of His Highness Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of
the Dubai Sports Council, alongside a number of officials in the education and sports sectors. During the

previous edition, His Excellency Dr. Ahmad Belhoul Al Falasi, Minister of Sports, honoured the students 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.

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