Abu Dhabi Marks International Day Of Sport For Development And Peace

ABU DHABI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 05th Apr, 2021) The Abu Dhabi Department of Community has been seeking to promote its sports initiatives, which will contribute to community development and the promotion of a healthy and peaceful lifestyle.

On 6th April, the world celebrates the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace, which the Government of Abu Dhabi is celebrating by shedding light on the progress made in its development efforts in the Emirate.

Speaking on the occasion, Sultan Al Mutawa Al Dhaheri, Executive Director of the Community Engagement and Sports Sector at the Department of Community Development, said, "Abu Dhabi is on a clearly articulated journey towards making sports a way of life for our community; as sports resemble a message of development and peace to strengthen the community bonds and cohesion through enabling everyone to enjoy a state of inner peace that stems from the positive values that are best demonstrated through sports."

Al Dhaheri added that Abu Dhabi has hosted several global sports events during which it made sure to instil the values of tolerance, cultural exchange, and societal diversity, reflecting community cohesion under any circumstances despite all emerging global challenges.

Therefore, he said, sports represent a global language that plays a key role in promoting peace, tolerance, and understanding within communities.

Al Dhaheri pointed out that the Quality of Life Questionnaire has shown in its second cycle that 67 percent of community members in the Emirate either exercise regularly or have demonstrated their willingness to do so. He also noted that the sports and exercises covered in the Quality of Life Questionnaire included the most common forms of sports exercised in Abu Dhabi; which are walking (76.5 percent), running (43.35 percent), and swimming (15 percent).

He said, "The Abu Dhabi Department of Community Development has been seeking to develop a sports strategy in cooperation with the Abu Dhabi Sports Council, which will also be responsible for implementing such initiatives. The goal behind those initiatives is to provide Abu Dhabi with a robust sports ecosystem and regulate the sports sector in order to enable community members to have an active lifestyle.

"This is in addition to increasing the number of professional athletes practicing the different forms of sports in Abu Dhabi. Our aim here is to develop the sports sector and allow it to compete at the global level through programs and events that best serve our community, as well as applying the best-in-class global systems that would enable us to take part in local and global competitions."