The women's majlis: Sheikhas inspire sport for women

Each month, Weekend will pose a different question to be debated by a series of female Emirati columnists. This month, we ask Fatima Al Ali:

What do you think about the level of sport for women in the UAE? Would you do anything to change it?

The level of sports opportunities available in the UAE is relatively low compared with other countries around the world. However, in the past couple of years, participation of Emirati women has grown in many fields, including sports. Nowadays, rather than limiting sports to schools, many groups and foundations are encouraging women to engage in athletics, not only to foster a better, healthier lifestyle, but also to show the world that women in the UAE are capable of competing not only nationally but also internationally.

There is no doubt that a lot of women in the UAE have accomplished and blossomed in the field of sport, without going against cultural and religious beliefs.

Lately, a lot of women's sports are being established and supported, such as ice hockey, handball, fencing, karate and many more. The participation of the UAE'S sheikhas also has encouraged women to follow; Sheikha Maitha bint Mohammed Al Maktoum, the tae kwon do athlete, is a role model for all ladies in UAE, as is Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, who established the Fatima bint Mubarak Ladies Sport Academy to support women in sport here.

The level of sports is gradually increasing, and the development to a more advanced level will need some time and effort. But there's no limit to where we can reach. A lot of women are aspiring to find success internationally. This success depends on how our society supports women's role in athletics.

I became interested in ice hockey when I watched a tournament in 2008; my mother, though not much into sports, was happy that I joined in 2011. Since then, I've played in tournaments in Hong Kong, Bangkok, Bahrain, Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

But to start competing internationally, more women must be encouraged to participate. This is done by planning and providing women with the necessary resources and guidance. By providing women with the right and professional training, they will be able to grow and learn how to improve and enhance themselves. The level of sport might have increased, but it still needs improvement. Another important aspect is the support and motivation of families and authority figures; their acceptance will allow women to fully commit to sports.

Our ice hockey team improved greatly within three years, but we still lacked ice time, though we took advantage of every minute out there. The first year that the team played in Hong Kong, we lost all our games by wide margins, but this did not stop us from improving, going back the year after and finishing in third place.

After playing games against other teams and getting in plenty of practice, we finally won first place in tournaments in Bangkok and Hong Kong; this shows what a little effort from all parties can achieve.

Fatima Al Ali is a member of the Abu Dhabi women's ice hockey team, The Storms.

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