Diana Farah Dubai

A webinar organised by the United Arab Emirates’ National Olympic Committee (NOC) kicked off July 26 with 15 speakers discussing the challenges the Olympics faces after the global outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

UAE media star Usama Al Ameeri, who curated the virtual conference, said Japan made the right decision in postponing the Tokyo 2020 Olympics games until next year amid the coronavirus outbreak.

“Japan is taking the right precautions and preventative measures” to ensure the athletes’ and spectators’ safety, Al Ameeri said.

The speakers discussed six topics, ranging from the role of the NOC in supporting national federations in future, challenges facing the Olympic movement of the UAE following COVID-19, digital challenges to the sports practice, and opportunities to be targeted in dealing with the Olympic movement following the pandemic. 

Some speakers included Mohammed Ben Sulayem, Secretary-General of the NOC, Mohamed Fadel Al-Hamli, President of the National Paralympic Committee, Amna Al-Dahhak Al-Shamsi, Assistant Undersecretary for Welfare and Activities at the Ministry of Education and Noura Khalifa Al-Suwaidi, Secretary-General of the General Women’s Union.

The speakers discussed the importance of advanced technology needed to help sports committees in the UAE and the world reach their goals, especially after the outbreak of COVID-19.

They also spoke about raising awareness for diversity in the sports world and in upcoming games, adding its importance in bringing global sports committees together.

According to the speakers, the NOC is working to improve the sports industry in the UAE to encourage further tourism, as it is a country well-known for bringing different nationalities together.