Sheikha Jawaher Bint Mohamed Al-Qasimi, Chairperson of the Supreme Council for Family Affairs, opened the 3rd Arab Women Sports Tournament at the Sharjah Equestrian and Racing Club Tuesday. The tournament continues until Feb. 12 and has the participation of 18 Arab countries and 58 clubs, competing in eight disciplines, including volleyball, basketball, table tennis, archery, fencing, athletics, shooting and show jumping. The opening ceremony was attended by Sheikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al-Nahyan, Minister of Culture, Youth and Community Development, and Prince Talal Bin Badr Bin Saud Bin Abdul Aziz, President of the Arab Sports Council, Head of the Union of Arab National Olympic Committees, and Shaikh Isa Bin Rashid Al-Khalifa, First Deputy Chairman of the Union of Arab National Olympic Committees, and Sheikha Hayat Bint Abdulaziz Al-Khalifa, Board Member of the Bahrain Olympic Committee Management, Chairperson of the Bahrain Women and Sport Committee and Head of AWST's Supervisory and follow-up Committee, and Sheikh Khalid Bin Ahmed Bin Sultan Al-Qasimi, Head of AWST's Supreme Organizing Committee, Sheikha Bodour Bint Sultan Al-Qasimi, Chairperson of Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq), and Rania Elwani, former Egyptian Olympic swimmer. The opening ceremony began with a grand entrance by the participating countries — Jordan, Bahrain, Tunisia, Algeria, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Somalia, Iraq, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Egypt, Morocco, Yemen, and host United Arab Emirates. Sheikha Jawaher welcomed the participating Arab delegations to the Emirate of Sharjah and to the UAE. She expressed her happiness with this great assembly of Arabic women, noting that the Arab Women Sports Tournament had become the premier event in the Arab world which supports women sports and said, "I would like to welcome the participating Arab delegations to Sharjah, wishing them a lively and successful participation in the third session of the Arab Women Sports Tournament. I feel extremely proud of Arab girls and women gathered together on the soil of love, brotherhood and peace; the United Arab Emirates' soil. Let's appreciate the meaning of sportsmanship and compassion during competitions which we aspire to use as a platform to elevate women sports and promote civilized behavior, expressing our culture, to strengthen human ties." On behalf of AWST 2016 Organizing Committee, Sheikh Khalid honored the late Osman Al-Saad, the previous secretory general of the Union of Arab National Olympic Committees.
