Mansour bin Mohammed witnesses the launch of business "World Sports Summit" In Dubai

DUBAI, 29 December / WAM / His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, President of the National Olympic Committee and Chairman of the Dubai Sports Council, today witnessed the launch of the “World Sports Summit”, which will be held in Dubai over two days under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, Chairman of the Executive Council of the Emirate of Dubai, in the presence and participation of more than 1,500 sports leaders, stars, legends and representatives of institutions. And sports federations from around the world.

His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum stressed that this global event will be an annual station that contributes to shaping the future of global sports, discussing its promising opportunities and prospects for its development in the short and long term, enhancing international cooperation and partnerships, and developing ideas for future legislation that will help confront challenges and create a better future for sports at the level of laws, regulatory frameworks, performance, financing, discovering and developing talent, as well as the uses of artificial intelligence to develop sports, and other important and vital topics.

His Highness said: “We aim to achieve the maximum possible benefit through the presence of this global sports gathering in Dubai over two days, with its inclusion of the most prominent sports icons, personalities and leaders, by discussing ways to enhance cooperation in order to unite the world through sports, as it is the language that crosses borders and is most capable of bringing people together and strengthening ties between them, and so that this gathering will be a real opportunity to create together a prosperous future for global sports.”

The World Sports Summit began with an opening speech delivered by His Excellency Khalfan Juma Belhoul, Vice Chairman of the Dubai Sports Council, during which he stressed that Dubai is the ideal place for dialogue, discussion and activating international partnerships in the sports sector to face challenges and prepare for opportunities thanks to its future vision based on a positive vision for the future and its support for initiatives aimed at enhancing the quality of life of communities.

His Excellency said that the summit aims to launch global dialogues about the reality and future of sports, stressing the importance of the role of sports in giving all the world’s population a better quality of life.

As part of the activities of the first day of the summit, His Highness Sheikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Representative of His Majesty the King of Bahrain for Charitable Works and Youth Affairs, National Security Advisor, and President of the Supreme Council for Youth and Sports, participated in a key session entitled “Leadership from the Front Lines.”

His Excellency Dr. Ahmed Belhoul Al Falasi, Minister of Sports, delivered a speech in which he reviewed the UAE’s vision for the future of sports, and the message that the Ministry of Sports seeks to achieve in light of the ambitious targets for the sports sector in its various courses.

His Excellency expressed his happiness with the success achieved by the first day of the World Sports Summit, stressing that the summit represents an influential platform to advance dialogue about the future of the sports sector at the global level, stressing that the widespread presence of an elite group of influential sports leaders, sports stars and representatives of major sports institutions and bodies, reflects the level of confidence in this summit and its expected role in shaping the features of the next stage.

His Excellency Dr. Al Falasi added: “The United Arab Emirates plays a pivotal role in shaping the future of sports in the era of artificial intelligence, and we are committed to making the focus on developing human capabilities at the heart of this accelerating technical transformation. In light of the rapid progress in the fields of technology and innovation and its contribution to the development of many aspects of the sports sector, the importance of preserving the human dimension emerges as an essential and indispensable element to enhance the quality of life and enhance the positive impact of sports in supporting societies at the global level.”

Gianni Infantino, President of the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA), spoke in a key session entitled “The Next 90 Minutes,” during which he stressed that football is a sport that brings people together and creates joy for young and old fans of this sport all over the world.

In his speech, he pointed to the importance of continuing to support talent, develop the infrastructure of facilities and stadiums, support national federations in all countries and continents, invest in organizing tournaments and competitions, and develop laws and legislation, stressing the importance of benefiting from modern technologies to enhance the aesthetics and competitiveness of football, which is most popular in the world.

In a key session entitled “Sustainability in Sports: Exploring New Horizons of Physical Abilities,” international Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic shed light on the beginning of his passion for sports and the most important milestones and achievements he achieved in his successful sports career, pointing out the importance of providing support and training to promising talents from an early age and providing them with greater opportunities to demonstrate their abilities to the world.

Nasser Al-Khelaifi, President of Paris Saint-Germain, reviewed the club’s successful experience over the past years at the level of sports, business and culture, and was interviewed by Peter Crouch, the former Liverpool and England national team striker.

During the summit, and on its first day, Filipino world boxing legend Manny Pacquiao also spoke about his sporting journey and the most prominent challenges he faced during his path toward the world.

Tunisian tennis champions Ons Jabeur and Spanish Paula Badosa also participated in a dialogue session entitled “Challenging Expectations: How to Turn Pressures and Disappointments into Historic Moments,” moderated by media personality Sarah Stone.

A group of former players and current managers in American basketball, namely Tameka Tremalio, Terry Smith, Jessica Berman, Michelle Roberts, and Danita Johnson, participated in a session on the leadership role of women in sports and business, in addition to a distinguished session in which former boxing star Oleksandr Usyk spoke.

The first day of the “World Sports Summit” concluded with a dialogue session that hosted Brazilian and international football legend Ronaldo Nazario, winner of the World Cup twice and many titles with various clubs, during which he spoke about the athlete’s journey from the stadiums to the world of entrepreneurship.

The second day of the summit will begin tomorrow with a session in which mixed martial arts legend Habib Nur Mammadov will speak, where he will address the future of the widespread combat sport. The session will be moderated by Rio Ferdinand, the former England national team and Manchester United star.

The next session brings together former Italian football star Roberto Baggio, his daughter Valentina Baggio, and Italian football star Alessandro Del Piero, winner of the 2006 World Cup with his country.

Another session will host a number of American football stars, including Reggie Bush, Baron Davis, Marquis Colston, and Swen Cash, to talk about the relationship between play and sports management, while the fourth session will shed light on the role of sports tournaments and stars in the development of the global fashion industry. Jamie Wayne, president of Jimmy Choo, the fashion company, Victor Cruz, the American football star, and Michael Utley, commercial director of the Italian club AC Milan, will speak in it.

In a special session on the European Basketball League, His Excellency Abdullah Al Naboodah, founder and owner of the Dubai Basketball Club participating in the tournament, French basketball legend and owner of Lyon Club, Paulius Motijonas, CEO of the European Basketball League, and Jorge Garbajosa, President of the European Basketball Federation, will speak.

An elite group of successful investors in sports clubs will also discuss the future of sports investment: Amanda Staveley, former owner of Newcastle FC, Mary Owen, former owner of Buffalo Bills, and Mehrdad Ghodosi, former owner of Newcastle FC.

The next session will be spoken by Nick Santonastasso, the famous author and fitness legend, while Wyke Groesbeck, CEO of the Boston Celtic Basketball Club, will present his thoughts on investment opportunities in sports on the second day of the summit.

The activities of the World Sports Summit will conclude with an inspiring session that brings together 6 of the star players and coaches who won the World Cup: the Brazilians Ronaldo and Cafu, the Spaniards Carles Puyol and Iniesta, the Frenchman Didier Deschamps, and the Italian Fabio Cannavaro. The session will be moderated by a champion World Cup winner, the Italian Alessandro Del Piero.

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