JEDDAH: Four Saudi and Emirati teams competed in a series of basketball matches as part of the under-16 Women’s Gulf Sports Exchange Initiative, which aims to help teams gain experience and prepare for local and Gulf competitions.
The event was organized by Jeddah United Sports Academy and ended in Dubai on Saturday.
Jeddah United, the only representative of the Kingdom, led the Emirati Shabab Al-Ahli with an exceptional performance. The American University’s team competed with Jam Sports Academy in a friendly atmosphere.
All participants displayed a high level of sportsmanship, and were keen to acquire expertise and benefit from the matches to improve their performance in official competitions.
The tournament was attended by the players’ parents along with a number of directors including Hamda Al-Shamsi, director of Al-Ahli Club’s women’s sports department, and the director of Jeddah United Sports Academy, Maali Al-Abdali.
They stressed the importance of the initiative and its role in improving the technical level of the teams, promoting sportsmanship and increasing the contact between teams of the same professional level.
“The sports exchange aims at spreading the culture of sportsmanship and good sports ethics in addition to consolidation the culture of respect for the opponent,” they said, noting that “during the matches, many players displayed a high level of basketball skills.”
“This event comes 12 years after the first women’s sports exchange in 2007, which was followed by a series of friendly games and competitions,” they said.
