Major General Mohammad Hilal Al Kaabi, President of UAE Athletics Federation (UAE AF), emphasised that all the races which will be held in the UAE must be under the AF supervision and control.
"We will not permit anyone to organise a race unless he proceeds through the Athletics Federation. The time when people did what they liked away from the AF umbrella has become a thing of the past and we will not allow this to be repeated under any circumstances," Al Kaabi said at a press conference held at the Burj Al Arab.
The AF president signed a memorandum with the Ministry of Education. Dr Ahmad Al Sharef, assistant undersecretary, for Student Activities and Welfare of the UAE Ministry of Education signed the accord.
The press meeting was attended by Ebrahim Abdul Malek, secretary-general, national Olympic Committee, Dr Abdullah Abdul Karim, AF financial manager, and other AF members.
Munira Safar, assistant general secretary and head of ladies committee in the AF, reviewed the press conference with the national fund to support the ladies activities in the AF.
"Our objective is to double the numbers of UAE ladies who practice athletics. Also, we will be looking to prepare UAE ladies to become coaches, referees and administrators as well as promoting the standard of the UAE lady athletes to represent UAE in regional, continental and international level," Safar said.
Al Kaabi thanked General Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, for his generosity in establishing the national fund to support activities for women. "According to the instructions of General Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed, the fund has been financed for one year and we are confident that Munira Safar and her colleagues will do their best to show the ladies activities in athletics in an excellent way."
Nawal Al Mutawakil, International Olympic Committee member, wished the UAE ladies athletics team all the best in the future.
