UAE national teams gear up for upcoming Gulf Youth Games

Gearing up to deliver memorable performances, the UAE national teams are intensifying their preparations ahead of the inaugural edition of the Gulf Youth Games.

Hosted by the UAE, the Gulf Youth Games, a multi-sport event featuring 3,500 male and female athletes from across the GCC, will take place under the theme “Our Gulf is One... Our Youth is Promising.”

Mohammed Al Shibli, the technical director of the boxing team, emphasized the significant interest the UAE Boxing Federation has in the Gulf Youth Games, as it represents a great opportunity to discover new talent.

Shibli stated that preparations for the sports extravaganza started early, with players currently undergoing intermittent training due to their academic commitments.

“Training intensity will increase during the spring break, with the team gathering for an internal camp to focus more on finalizing the team roster.”

He added that a championship for the same age group participating in the Gulf Youth Games will be held in Fujairah on March 29 of this month, which will be a crucial stage for the UAE Boxing Federation and the coaching staff to select the best elements to represent the country in the event.

Shibli indicated that the federation has decided to host an external training camp to prepare the final list of players who will be selected.

The camp will serve as the final stage of preparation. The federation has contacted three countries - Thailand, the Philippines, and Uzbekistan - to participate in a strong external preparation camp to equip the players in the best possible way and ensure they are ready before entering the competitions.

The technical director of the UAE boxing team explained that the outlines of the final list have been largely determined. He stated that the final list will include 13 players, while currently, 8 or 9 players have been tentatively settled upon. However, these names are subject to change based on each player’s readiness until the start of the tournament.

Shibli emphasized that the players will have a good opportunity to interact with high-level competition in the sport. He noted that these players will become the true nucleus of the first team in the coming years.

Sultan Ali Al Tahir, the head of the Chess Technical Committee at the Gulf Youth Games, revealed details of the participation in the tournament, confirming that four Gulf countries will be in the fray, including Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, and the UAE. The competitions will take place at the Sharjah Cultural and Chess Club.

Tahir explained that the competitions will be held in categories under 14 and 18 years old for males and females. There will be a rapid chess championship, blitz, along with a team championship for both rapid and blitz, for both males and females.

Each team are allowed to participate with three players at the team level, which means each team will compete with 12 players, bringing the total to 48 players. Players from the participating teams are allowed to participate in individual championships, and Tahir pointed out that an increase in the number of participating countries remains possible until the deadline.

He noted that a chief arbiter from the UAE has been selected, named Faisal Al Hammadi. Additionally, each delegation will include an accompanying arbiter. The technical regulations prepared by the UAE Chess Federation’s technical management will be presented to the tournament’s technical committee for approval or modification.

“Everyone is ready to make the first edition of this major event a major success on UAE soil. We have the experience, administrative staff, and organizational capabilities that will lead the event to a successful conclusion. We have previously hosted many international, regional, Arab, and Gulf championships,” he added.

On the other hand, the UAE Badminton Federation approved the national team preparation programme, after determining the final list, which includes 24 male and female players.