Ben Sulayem reviews UAE sport efforts experience in tackling Coronavirus Pandemic

Dubai - Sports Department of GCC General Secretariat recently conducted a workshop via video communication

Mohammed Ben Sulayem, Secretary-General of the UAE National Olympic Committee reviewed the efforts of the UAE in taking precautionary measures to curb the Coronavirus since the outbreak of the pandemic.
Ben Sulayem made a statement to this effect during the NOC's participation in a workshop entitled 'The Impact of the Coronavirus Pandemic on the Sports Sector'.
The event was organised by the Sports Department of GCC General Secretariat via video communication on Tuesday involving the participation of Secretaries General of GCC Olympic Committees.
Ben Sulayem conveyed to attendees the greetings of Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, President of the UAE National Olympic Committee. He indicated that Sheikh Ahmed had taken proactive decisions to ensure the safety of the community. He stressed that the NOC attached utmost priority to safety issues in line with the directives of the UAE leaders to protect people and adopt preventive health measures.
In an opening address to the workshop, which covered four topics, Ben Sulayem hailed the great efforts of the GCC sports sector. He noted that the recent challenges had transformed the concept of sports activities and warranted revising the way of dealing with big sports events under such crisis.
Ben Sulayem discussed the precautionary actions taken by the UAE, especially in the sports sector. Such measures, he noted, included periodic disinfection of facilities, athlete medical tests, and the construction of Covid-19 test centres across the UAE. He also reflected on the participation of volunteers from sports councils and clubs to work in those facilities as part of the first-defence line.
Discussions covered the efforts of sports organisations with specialist entities such as the printing of bilingual manual, protocols, regulations governing clubs, training centres and academies. Attendees also reviewed measures taken such as continuous sterilisation, stepping capacity to not more than 50 per cent of the previous level, ensuring the safety of participants and maintaining the distance between athletes.
"The UAE sports federations gave a perfect example in the handling of crisis and maintaining the business continuity such as the Football Federation, which organised the world's biggest sports medicine conference via remote technology. The event attracted the participation of medical staffs from a variety of national federations and clubs.
The Secretary-General of the NOC concluded by touching on the existing and anticipated challenges of the Covid-19. "Thank God, the UAE is foreseeing the future and anticipating challenges. The country adopts constructive ideas and proposals in tackling risks and mapping out flexible policies. It proved that smart cities were safer and more prepared for crises, and the UAE was among the first countries that applied artificial intelligence for the benefit of people."