The second edition of the Dubai Schools League held under the Princess Haya Initiative for the Development of Health, Physical Education and School Sports has attracted over 1,500 students in four sports this year.
Following the success of the football competition last year, the organisers have expanded the disciplines to basketball, chess and bowling.
Unveiling details of the new season, the biggest ever since the initiative began in 2007, officials said that Dubai Schools League 2012 kicked off with zonal football matches already underway to select winning teams for the Championship by May-end.
Princess Haya Initiative focuses on developing school sports talents, physical education as a curricular activity and promoting health among youth. In a speech given in year 2007, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, had said: “Sports here starts at clubs while it should start at schools so the number of participants increases and we could discover talents earlier. Most important, sport is an educational tool with guaranteed results. If youth had no opportunity to release their energy in useful activities, they might turn towards bad activities. Free time is destructive for youth. Sport builds the body, activates the mind, improves the behaviour, encourage team work as a habit and establish team spirit.”
With the support of Her Royal Highness Princess Haya bint Al Hussein, wife of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, the Special Initiative Project was launched in 2007 to present a new physical education concept to teachers, students, parents and school administrations. The goal was to encourage children of all ages to participate in sports and adopt healthy lifestyles. Starting with just 11 schools, the initiative has expanded to include all public schools across the Emirate of Dubai.
“In the last few years, the Princess Haya Initiative for the Development of Health, Physical Education and School Sports has become a significant event in the calendar of school sports in Dubai and this year we received an overwhelming response,” said Dr. Haya Bin Saifan, Head of Students Activities Dept. at Dubai Educational Zone (DEZ), under the Ministry of Education. “This is a testimony to the success of the Initiative which connects all schools – private and public, irrespective of curriculum and language under the universal canopy of sports.”
Commenting on the enthusiasm generated, Dr. Saifan said: “The response to Dubai School League 2012 has been exciting from the beginning and the significance of the event is that it brings students from schools across the board irrespective of nationality and language to test their mettle and learn in the process the positive benefits of teamwork, which is imperative in creating a better tomorrow.”
Elaborating on the 2012 season, Ahmad Abdul Rahman, Head of Health and Physical Education Unit and Project Manager of Princess Haya Initiative for the Development of Health, PE & School Sports, said the Dubai Schools League provides an opportunity for students from different nationalities and communities to meet through sports.
“We are glad that a large number of schools have come forward this year to take part in the Dubai Schools League 2012. Equally important is the increase in the number of sponsors to this prestigious event which endorses the fact that there is large social and corporate commitment to the activity which is seen as an essential to groom the youth community,” he said.
The Official sponsor of Dubai Schools League this year is Dubai Duty Free while Nestle and Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank are lead sponsors.
Abdul Rahman said the Dubai Schools League has started with the Bowling and Chess championships, preliminary Football matches also have started for this season.
“We are looking forward to a grand finale in a major sports event by May,” he said.
“We are expecting to have at least 24 boys and 12 girls teams for the basketball championship which will be held in May,” he added.
Significantly, a large number of girl students are also taking part in the Dubai Schools League across all the sports disciplines.
"There will be indoor and outdoor football competitions for the girls to encourage Arab girls," he added.
The venues for the events are popular clubs in Dubai like Al Ahli, Al Nasri and Al Shabab.