From the sports department
ABU DHABI, 13th May / WAM / During the reign of Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, “may God have mercy on him”, sports received great attention, and achieved unprecedented leaps and achievements, in line with the great renaissance that accompanied all branches of life in the Emirates.
A year after the passing of Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, may God rest his soul, the people of the Emirates remember him with more pride, glory, reverence, and veneration for many of his imprints in the sports sector, which achieved a huge qualitative leap at all levels during his reign.
During his reign, sport was characterized by empowerment and leadership in terms of winning titles, hosting tournaments, supporting, developing and establishing sports facilities of international standards and features, as well as decisions that affected sports life in the UAE, and won tremendous international appreciation.
During his reign, Emirati sports achieved many achievements. In terms of football, the UAE national team won the Arabian Gulf Cup twice, in 2007 in the UAE and 2013 in Bahrain, and the youth football team achieved a historic achievement by winning the Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia in 2008.
The Olympic football team participated in the London 2012 Olympic Games, in the first participation of Emirati football in the Olympic Games.
And in embodiment of the interest of the late Sheikh Khalifa in sports and athletes, he launched the annual Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan Award to honor heroes with achievements at all levels, which turned into a holiday for athletes.
During his reign, the state, may God have mercy on him, was also keen to provide women with the opportunity to exercise their role in sports competition and to obtain their right to represent the state and participate in foreign championships.
During his reign, decisions were issued that provided the opportunity for residents and people born in the Emirates to participate in sports competitions effectively.
Law No. 29 of 2006 concerning People of Determination also emphasized the great interest in “knights of will and challenge.”
The same boom was witnessed by the country in terms of organizing world and international tournaments and major events in various sports, which contributed to placing the UAE firmly on the map of world championships. The most prominent thing that the UAE hosted during that era was the 2013 Junior World Cup and the 2019 Asian Nations Cup.
Major leaps extended to new facilities and infrastructure, and the development of old facilities, with the increase over the years in the number of sports, club teams and national teams, and participation in international sports forums.
Perhaps the most prominent renovations took place in Zayed Sports City, Al Nahyan Stadium, Mohammed bin Zayed in Abu Dhabi, Al Maktoum in Dubai, and Hazza bin Zayed in Al Ain, which contributed to the UAE hosting the FIFA Club World Cup 5 times in 2009 and 2010 with high efficiency. 2017, 2018 and 2022.
In the era of the late Sheikh Khalifa, he also inaugurated many huge sports facilities that hosted many major international events in various sports in all emirates of the country, such as the Hamdan Sports Complex in Dubai in 2010, the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi in 2009, the Zayed Sports Complex in Fujairah in 2016 and others. Giant sports facilities.
