\n
\nEverything starts with a dream. Then a goal.<\/p>\n
\nAlmost 20 years ago, Lina Almaeena had a dream to set up a basketball team under the name Jeddah United.<\/p>\n
\nAt the time, establishing a competitive female basketball team was not as easy as it is today, quite simply because in the past, the Kingdom had no basketball competitions for women to speak of.<\/p>\n
\nBut things have changed drastically in recent years.<\/p>\n
\nFemale sports and leagues are proliferating and only recently, saw many individuals and teams take part in the Saudi Games 2022, one of the country\u2019s biggest-ever sporting events.<\/p>\n
\nThe tournament saw competitions in more than 45 sports, and one of them was women\u2019s basketball.<\/p>\n
\nIt has been a long road to get to this point for Almaeena and her colleagues. \u201cJeddah United started around 20 years ago at a time when sports for girls was self-censored, when there was no legislation for sports clubs, no PE in school,\u201d Almaeena said.<\/p>\n
\n\u201cThroughout the years, Jeddah United, under a commercial license, trained tens of thousands of women and young girls in team sports within private courts and fields. The women\u2019s team traveled the world, from Malaysia to the US, to learn from playing friendly matches with other teams, as well as changing stereotypes of Saudi women in the media.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\u201cWe tried as a sports community to recruit international experts living in the Kingdom,\u201d she said. \u201cWe also hired female coaches and collaborated with international federations like the NBA and WNBA, with the aim of promoting the culture of sports, and especially team sports, in the Kingdom. We started a Khobar United branch and Riyadh United in 2011 as our vision was a united, energetic society.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nThe years of hard work paid off. \u201cWe are so honored to have won first place in the historic Saudi Games\u2019 basketball competition,\u201d said the co-founder and chairperson of Jeddah United. \u201cThis honor comes from the fact that the main official sponsor of the Saudi Olympics was the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman.<\/p>\n
\n\u201cWe are reaping the fruits of Vision 2030, increasing participation (in) physical activity and forming a healthier and happier society for everyone living on this land,\u201d she said. \u201cThe Saudi Games opening had an energy, I felt like it was the energy of the crown prince whose bold reforms enabled us as women specifically to celebrate, participate and compete in nation-building in general, and sports on this occasion.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nAlmaeena is grateful for the backing she has received from leading figures in the Kingdom. She highlighted the support of the Minister of Sport Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal; Prince Fahd bin Jalawi, the vice president of the Saudi Olympic Committee; Princess Delayel Nahar Al-Saud, advisor to the VP; and Adwa Al-Arifi, deputy minister for planning and development at the Ministry of Sport. She also thanked the presidents of all the sporting federations, as well as those who helped make her \u201cwonderful dream come true.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\u201cJeddah United was undefeated, the only private club among government-backed clubs,\u201d she said of the Saudi Games experience. \u201cThat marked a successful example of privatization and how PPP will contribute to the reduction of cost and support the development of the national economy.<\/p>\n
\n<\/p>\n
\nAlmaeena also thanked and congratulated the athletes, coaches, administration, as well the team\u2019s sponsors UBT, Haji Husein Alireza & Co., Mafasel Clinics and Layal Spa. She said others who made a difference were motivational speakers and doctors who took the time to talk to the team before the Games, which included Dr. Hala Mosli, Dr. Mohammad Hakeem and Dr. Hussar Alnajjar.<\/p>\n
\n\u201cLast but not least we owe this win to the families of all the athletes, who supported their loved ones throughout a very intense training period and competition with their physical, mental and emotional support,\u201d Almaeena added. \u201cI for sure owe it to my family and friends who really made me believe that we will win the gold. This occasion gave us a sense of increased strength and unity of the country with a number of athletes coming together from across Saudi to compete.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\u201cWe look forward to next year\u2019s new edition of the Saudi Games,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\n
Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Everything starts with a dream. Then a goal. Almost 20 years ago, Lina Almaeena had a…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8084","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sport"],"yoast_head":"\n
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