Page 19 - GAS PR REPORT - August 2024

cultivates a competitive sports environment that supports the growth and
empowerment of talents.
The General Authority of Sports (GAS) recently launched the ‘Sports Talents’ platforms as a
vital part of the ‘Empowerment and Sustainability of Sports Talents’ project. The online
platform is developed to identify 1500 promising new sports talents and offer them the
necessary support needed to develop, cultivate and empower their capabilities. The
initiative, which is in line with the ‘We the UAE 2031’ vision, aims to create an inclusive and
encouraging environment in the field of sports for the Emirati community.
The ’Sports Talent’ platform is an advanced tool designed to collect vital data and insights
about sports talents, starting from the initial registration phase and continuing the
empowerment stage. By collaborating with relevant sports organizations and educational
institutions in the UAE, the platform monitors sports fairs and events that focus on finding
talents within the community. Through these efforts, it seeks to connect skilled athletes with
the right opportunities, thus allowing them to hone their capabilities and channel their
potential in the right direction.
His Excellency Ghanim Mubarak Al Hajeri, Director-General for the General Authority of
Sports, said: “Our ‘Empowerment and Sustainability of Sports Talents’ project aims to
expand the base of sports practices for promising talents, fostering their sports culture and
developing a professional mindset through the recently launched ‘Sports Talent’ platform.
Through these efforts, we seek to ensure the sustainability of sports talents in alignment
with the goals and values of ‘Year of Sustainability’. Furthermore, it integrates talent
identification procedures to ensure a promising future for Emirati sports signifying the
unwavering efforts of the Authority in collaboration with its partners from the sports,
government and private sectors. Our goal is to devise national strategies to recognise and
empower sports talents and ultimately boost the UAE’s sports landscape.”
HE Sheikh Suhail bin Butti Al Maktoum, Executive Director of the Sports Development
Sector at GAS, said: “Through this initiative, we seek to create a comprehensive database
of sports talents in the UAE using the ‘Sports Talent’ online platform, which is designed to
be accessible to all young talents, whether they are involved in sporting events or not. It
will serve as the primary communication channel with talented athletes across the UAE.”
Furthermore, HE Sheikh Suhail bin Butti emphasised that increasing the number of events
dedicated to talent discovery and empowerment will significantly bolster their national
identity among our sporting stars and help realise our national sporting ambitions. “By
providing financial and administrative support to promising athletes and sports federations,
we can improve the prospects of success for those athletes aiming to qualify for the
Olympics. This support will also enhance the chances of Emirati athletes succeeding in
international competitions and achieving sporting excellence at all levels. Our goal is to
meet the targets set out in the National Sports Strategy 2031, which aims to qualify over 30
Emirati athletes for the 2032 Olympic Games,” he added.
The key goals of the ‘Sports Talent’ platform include identifying sports talents according to
different age categories, monitoring and documenting initiatives and programs to discover
and empower sports talent, boosting the number of participants as well as programs linked
to discovering sports talent and developing a comprehensive database on sports talent in
different competitive sports.
The Authority has set out several criteria to improve the identification and support of
sporting talents. This initiative aims to strengthen collaboration among stakeholders to
uphold the principles of effective sports management and corporate governance. The key
goal of the initiative is to ensure commitment to the successful execution of plans,
programmes, objectives and sports strategies for all involved parties. Some of the key
criteria include:

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