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UAE squash has big plans to bring more kids into sports

According to Abbas Khan, UAE national coach and technical director, the youth of the UAE is ‘boxed’. The children stay at home, go to school in air conditioned cars and come back home.

All the time they are ‘boxed’ and it can pose great danger to their health in the long run.

“We are trying to bring these children out of box by providing them opportunities to take up the game. “In this age of technology they are very active mentally but they need to take care of their physically health as well because a healthy body has a healthy mind,” Abbas said.

“UAE Squash Association has come up with a plan attract the youth towards the game.

“The association will urge Ministry of Education to include sports in the school curriculum.

“The students can choose any sport which will be help them to grow physically healthy and stronger. “It will also help the UAE to produce good players for future.

“Sports and education have a long association and developed countries in the West are strong in sports because they have a sound system in training youth athletes.

“One of the important characteristics of this system is the combination of sports and education so that teenagers can be both intellectually educated and physically trained to attain athletic excellence. “It will be a step in the right direction if sports becomes the part of school curriculum in the UAE,” the former Pakistan international added. Abbas was recently in Pakistan to finalise a deal to host an international tournament for Pakistan Squash Association in the UAE.

He was honoured in Lahore by Sports Writers Association of Punjab for his services to the squash.

Teams are reluctant to visit Pakistan due to security concerns. UAE Squash Association is providing opportunity to Pakistan to organise tournaments here. Pakistan has talent but it needs exposure and tournaments in the UAE will provide the players a chance to hone their skills.

The UAE coach said the agreement would be valid for two years starting from January 2012 and ending in 2014.

“It is a great opportunity for the PSF to utilise this opportunity and organise tournaments at senior and junior levels.

“Squash is dying down in the world due to lack of resources and there is a dire need to join hands to revive this sport.

“And we firmly believe that this venture between the UAE and the PSF will help Pakistan to groom upcoming players and regain lost glory,” Abbas concluded.

liaqat@khaleejtimes.com