Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, wife of His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah, Chairperson of the Supreme Council for Family Affairs (SCFA) and Chairperson of the Sharjah Sports Family Award (SSFA), issued an administrative resolution approving the Board of Trustees of the second edition of SSFA.

Organised by Sharjah Sports Council (SSC), the award is a valuable addition to Emirati sports awards, given its role in inspiring Emirati families to lead a healthy lifestyle and embrace sporting activities, as well as recognising their sporting achievements. The SSFA exemplifies the vision and directives of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member Ruler of Sharjah, to invest in holistic human development, and their health and well-being.

The award aims to encourage UAE families to foster the spirit of athleticism and loyalty in their children, give them a better sense of their national identity, as well as to motivate them to join sports clubs, athletic institutions and national teams to receive training that will equip them to pursue sports locally and internationally.

The award also aims to recognise the efforts of Emirati sporting families, who contribute to enriching the local sporting scene with trained athletes who go on to secure the biggest laurels in individual as well as team sports.

As per the final administrative resolution, HE Abdul Al Aziz Al Noman will be Chairman of the Board of Trustees of SSFA, and HE Nada Askar Al Naqbi is appointed as the Secretary General of SSFA. 

Khawla Al Serkal, will act as the Chairperson of the SSFA Media and Public Relations Committee, and Hanan Al Mahmoud has been chosen Chairperson of Marketing and Events Committee. Other appointments include Dr Salah Taher, who will be playing the role of the Chairman of the award’s Technical and Arbitral Committee, and Dr Mohammed Abdul Azeem, will be functioning as the Deputy Chairman of the award’s Technical and Arbitral Committee.

The in-depth experience and expertise of the newly appointed board will contribute to enhancing the vision and message of the award, which aims to develop the role of sports and regular physical activity in every family in community by highlighting the success and excellence that local community has attained in sports.

The new board aims to work towards recognising and streamlining the expertise of winners, drawing on the experiences past board members who have played a central role in the success of many sporting events and community initiatives launched by Sharjah, in line with the vision and guidance of Sheikha Jawaher to advance all community groups in various fields.

The organising committee of the award’s second edition will hold a press conference in May, to highlight the award, its goals and categories, as well as entry terms, judging criteria and a final timetable.  

In its first edition, the award included two categories: ‘Sporting Family’, which is given to a family with three outstanding athletes, and a ‘Family of Sports Heroes’. The award targets families who have talented athletes and heroes among its members. The award criteria include sports achievements, community and voluntary initiatives, engagement in community, scientific and vocational qualifications, sustainability in sports and family contributions, and academic level of the family.