Badminton merges with Table Tennis in UAE

Dubai - The joint organisation will share resources, which will enhance the governance, administration, grassroots development and event delivery for both sports.

Badminton was given a boost in the country when the sport was officially made a part of the UAE Table Tennis Association.
The new body will be called the UAE Table Tennis and Badminton Association and the formation of the governing body, facilitated by Falcon and Associates, was announced by Saeed Hareb, secretary general, Dubai Sports Council, and Dawood Al Hajri, president of the UAE Table Tennis Association, with the Badminton World Federation president Poul-Erik Hoyer witnessing this important event.
The joint organisation will share resources, which will enhance the governance, administration, grassroots development and event delivery for both sports.
Hareb, who is also chairman of the BWF Dubai World Superseries Finals Organising Committee, said: "The formation of the UAE Badminton and Table Tennis Association is a fantastic milestone for the growth and development of the sport. The creation of this national association will no doubt increase participation in the UAE and further enhance the governance, development and administration structures currently in place. This is certainly an exciting time for badminton in the UAE and Dubai Sports Council looks forward to working very closely with the UAE Table Tennis and Badminton Association to promote badminton to an ever wider audience."
It was also announced on Wednesday that Al Hajri will assume the role of president of the new Association, with Hassan Al Zarouni appointed as secretary general, Abdulrahman Al Menhali as treasurer and Ghazi Al Madani as a board member.
Hoyer said: "Through our association with Dubai Sports Council, the Badminton World Federation has enjoyed a great relationship with the UAE for over two years now and it's incredible to think that within this short space of time, a national governing body has been set up. The UAE sporting community should be commended for the pace at which it has helped develop the sport in this part of the world and we are delighted to see this progress."
sports@khaleejtimes.com