The World Sports Summit concludes its first session with the participation of 1,500 sports figures from 50 countries
DUBAI, 30 December / WAM / The first session of the “World Sports Summit”, organized by the Dubai Sports Council under the guidance and patronage of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence, and Chairman of the Executive Council of the Emirate of Dubai, concluded in Dubai. Its activities were held on the 29th and 30th of this December in Madinat Jumeirah under the slogan “We unite the world through sports”.
The largest summit of its kind was attended by more than 1,500 leaders, presidents and officials of sports federations, organizations and institutions, and many international sports stars and legends who have achieved immortal achievements in the records of world and Olympic championships. Over two days, 70 speakers from sports leaders, champion stars and club presidents in various sports spoke.
His Excellency Khalfan Juma Belhoul, Vice Chairman of the Dubai Sports Council, confirmed that the World Sports Summit, which was held under the supervision of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Dubai Sports Council, succeeded in uniting the world through sports and in bringing together leaders, decision-makers, stars and specialists in all fields of sports work and from about 50 countries in a global platform in Dubai to unify efforts, establish partnerships and approve legislation that creates a better future for sports and supports its great role in empowering societies, cooperation and convergence between countries and peoples.
The second day of the summit opened with an important session on martial arts and its wide spread in the world, in which Habib Nur Mammadov, the legend of mixed martial arts, moderated by Rio Ferdinand, the former England national team and Manchester United star, spoke about the future of martial arts sports.
International star Habib stressed that the presence of positive influences during training and professional development is essential to reaching the top, and pointed out that athletes must assume leadership roles as they advance in their career. He also shared his experience as a current coach, explaining that he does not accept excuses from the athletes he coaches, and that athletes have a responsibility to invest in supporting others and sharing their knowledge and experiences with new generations.
The second session brought together former Italian football legend Roberto Baggio and his daughter Valentina Baggio, and was moderated by another Italian football legend, Alessandro Del Piero, who represented Juventus (like Baggio) and also won the 2006 World Cup with his country’s national team.
The Italian star, who missed a decisive penalty kick in the 1994 World Cup final against Brazil, pointed out the importance of finding internal strength to overcome difficult times. His daughter, Valentina, said that traumas often push a person to reconsider things that should have been changed, stressing that faith constitutes a supportive element and a source of strength in periods of distress. In turn, Roberto stressed that his success is due to his insistence on doing everything with true passion, which explains why people continue to love him and appreciate his career until today.
Sports and business.
The third session brought together a number of American football stars, namely: Reggie Bush, Baron Davis, Marquis Colston, and Swen Cash. They talked about the relationship between playing and sports management, and how to benefit from the experiences accumulated as players in building a successful managerial career and achieving achievements in terms of championships and financial success. They revealed the contribution of their sports career and what they learned during it to their success as pioneers and businessmen. They also pointed out the similarities between sports, business and life in general, stressing that the skills acquired as players can be transferred to other fields. They stressed the importance of preparing for life after retirement, and agreed that diversity is an essential element for the success of the sports sector.
Kayla Itsines, who is considered one of the most famous fitness trainers in the world, also spoke at the summit and shared her story from filming training clips in the courtyard of her parents’ house to having 16 million followers on Instagram and building a successful business. She attributed her success to building a real community and making the entire journey visible, audible and accessible. She stressed that community is still the core of her work. She also discussed the impact of artificial intelligence on personal training and means of communication, the importance of trust, and the necessity of returning to traditional methods that build trust and community. She also talked about her experience in Dubai and her support for a healthy lifestyle.
The fifth session shed light on the role of sports, championships and stars in the development of the global fashion industry and increasing the sales of its major companies. The session was attended by Jamie Wayne, President of Jimmy Choo, a specialist in fashion, Victor Cruz, the American football star, and Michael Utley, Commercial Director of the Italian club AC Milan.
This topic is considered one of the most important topics in global sports currently, as a large number of players, clubs and national teams have turned into ambassadors for fashion houses to promote their sports and non-sports products, while international companies that manufacture sportswear are racing to sign with teams and teams to supply them with various clothes, in addition to millions to benefit from the promotional capabilities of those clubs, teams and their players to promote the companies’ products and increase their profits.
The sixth session dedicated to the European Basketball League was filled with many inspiring stories in the field of will, smart planning, and determination to achieve the goal. It was attended by His Excellency Abdullah Al Naboodah, founder and owner of the Dubai Basketball Club participating in the tournament, the Frenchman Tony Parker, the basketball legend and owner of the Lyon Club, Paulius Motijonas, CEO of the European Basketball League, and Jorge Garbajosa, President of the European Basketball Federation.
Al Nabooda expressed his pride in being an Emirati and that the status of the UAE in general and Dubai in particular contributed to supporting his efforts to include the Dubai FC team in the European Basketball League in an unprecedented achievement, after success in the regional qualifying tournaments for the European League, which is the second largest club tournament in the world after the NBA, due to its giant European teams that include a wonderful elite of international players, and these are the teams that now compete in Dubai and in front of the public in Dubai and the UAE in official competitions against… Dubai team.
The seventh session brought together an elite group of successful investors in sports clubs about sports investment: Amanda Staveley, former owner of Newcastle FC, Mary Owen, former owner of Buffalo Bills, and Mehrdad Ghodosi, former owner of Newcastle FC.
Participants in the session spoke about the growing opportunities and returns from sports investment, highlighting that this investment should be thoughtful to achieve sports goals, build identity, and achieve the desired returns without financial burdens and losses.
Inspiring story.
In the next session, Nick Santonastasso, the famous author and fitness legend, spoke about his affliction with a rare genetic disease that turned him into a person of determination, saying: “I am not supposed to be here, nor be alive at all, and today I changed the world with an indomitable will.” Nick stressed the importance of a strong will and sports in facing challenges and conquering the impossible.
The following session returned to the topic of investing in sports, where Wyke Groesbeck, CEO of the Boston Celtic Basketball Club, spoke.
The final session brought 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 was moderated by another champion who won the World Cup, the Italian Alessandro Del Piero, who faced all the participants in the session as a competitor or colleague. Each of them spoke about lifestyle, training and discipline to achieve achievements.
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