Page 51 - Ministry of Sports PR Report - October 2024

10/23/24, 9:56 AM Latest News
sports to 75 percent by 2031, raising the number of athletes qualifying for the Olympic Games to over 30 by
the Brisbane 2032 Olympics, and intensifying efforts to boost the sports sector’s contribution to the non-oil

GDP, aiming for 0.5 per cent by 2031.
The “Future of Sports Retreat” program featured a series of brainstorming sessions that focussed on five key

topics: Youth and Sports, University Sports, Sports and International Public Diplomacy, Expanding Olympic
Participation, and Identifying and Supporting Development of Elite Athletes. Additionally, the event honoured

athletes who participated in the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, for their exceptional
performances during the event and their significant contributions to enhancing the UAE’s positive reputation

on the global sports scene.
The retreat concluded with a series of key recommendations and announcements, the most noteworthy
being the launch of the inaugural University Games. The University Games is a program designed to enable

exceptional athletes at universities across the UAE to compete against each other on a national stage. The
University Games will feature competition in three sports -- football, basketball, and volleyball -- with

participation from 21 universities across the emirates. The University Games is structured to help facilitate
the process of discovering and nurturing sports talent in support of the national sports strategy objective of
expanding the base of sports participation among students in schools and universities while fostering a

culture of professionalism and enabling a new generation of elite athletes in the region.

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