SWSC team clinch RWST basketball title

The Sharjah Women’s Sports Club Team was crowned the basketball champions at the 11th Ramadan Women’s Sports Tournament (RWST) after a glorious final score of 66-25 against Brunei Airline. The Sharjah Police team, which placed second secured the silver, scoring 35-19 against the Tasamuh team, while Brunei Airline bagged the bronze medal against Tasamuh team with score of 31-14.

The Ramadan sporting event is organised by Sharjah Women’s Sports (SWS) under the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher Bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, wife of His Highness Dr Sheikh Sultan Bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, and Chairperson of SWS.

Sheikh Saqr Bbin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Chairman of the Sharjah Sports Council; Nada Askar Al Naqbi, Director General of SWS; Khaled Issa Al Midfa, Assistant Secretary-General of the General Authority for Youth and Sports Welfare; Salim Rashid Al Mutawa, Secretary-General of the UAE Basketball Association and Saeed Al Kaabi, Director of Sharjah Education Zone, attended the closing ceremony of the tournament.

The Elite Volleyball Academy won the gold medal in the volleyball competition, while the Italian Espera Moonves bagged the silver and Sharjah Women’s Sports Club won the bronze.

The basketball and volleyball referees and committees were also honoured on Thursday.

Sheikh Saqr said: “The 11th edition of the Ramadan Women’s Sports Tournament had been a testament to its success. It had developed into a national platform for honing athletes’ talents.”

He noted that the winners would be supported by the Sharjah Sports Council.

Naqbi, said: “This tournament wouldn’t have succeeded to this extent without the dedication and support of Her Highness Sheikha Jawahar and the logistical support from the various sports unions and the huge turn-out of fans to cheer the sportswomen. This edition has been the biggest success we have had since the launch of the tournament.”

Naqbi expressed pride in the athletes’ achievements, especially that of shooter Wafa Khamis, who scored 571 points, creating a national record. She added that Khamis’s participation in this sporting event was in preparation for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Khaled Issa Al Midfa stressed that such sporting events gave birth to new talents who would go on to enrich the national teams. He noted that the 11th edition had witnessed the birth of a distinguished group of athletes, especially in individual games like shooting and archery.

The Assistant Secretary-General pointed out to the huge participation in the archery competition which had seen 64 archers compete. He called for increased support for this game across the country.

Commenting on the basketball championship, Salim Rashid Al Mutawa said that the outcome of the basketball championship was of interest to the UAE Basketball Association which was looking to build up the national basketball teams.