Winter sports activities within the UAE have skilled outstanding development in recent times, unlocking important milestones in each accomplishments and improvement plans. Inserting a particular give attention to ice hockey, the nation has devoted nice consideration to growing its nationwide groups, expertise discovery, organising championships, and collaborating in regional and worldwide competitions.
The UAE is recognised as a regional and world chief within the sport, contributing to its improvement throughout Asia and the world. It joined the Worldwide Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) in 2001, changing into the primary Arab nation to realize full membership in 2013. This additionally made it the primary Arab nation to earn the correct to vote with two votes after assembly all required circumstances, together with establishing a neighborhood ice hockey league (the Emirates Ice Hockey League, based in 2009), growing Olympic-standard ice rinks, and coaching worldwide referees.
The UAE Nationwide Ice Hockey Workforce competes yearly within the IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship and quadrennially within the Asian Winter Video games. In the meantime, since 2013, the UAE Girls’s Nationwide Ice Hockey Workforce has been collaborating within the IIHF Asia and Oceania Championship (previously generally known as the IIHF Problem Cup of Asia), held yearly, moreover the UAE Nationwide Ice Hockey Workforce’s participation within the U20 class of the identical championship.
On the native stage, the UAE Ice Hockey Federation additionally oversees the Emirates Ice Hockey League, which options six native groups competing every season. Moreover, the federation actively participates within the conferences of the Worldwide and Asian Ice Hockey Federations, whereas internet hosting quite a few worldwide occasions and conferences.
By way of offering a supporting ecosystem for the game, the UAE boasts fashionable infrastructure and state-of-the-art services that align with the very best world requirements, enabling the nation to host occasions and actions in ice hockey and different sports activities. This superior infrastructure has been instrumental in attracting completely different age teams to the game, considerably increasing its attain and recognition.
The rising enthusiasm for ice hockey and the fast improvement of the UAE nationwide workforce culminated within the internet hosting of the IIHF Asia and Oceania Championship in Abu Dhabi in 2009. This occasion marked a pivotal second for the game, with the nationwide workforce securing the title, resulting in the institution of the Abu Dhabi Ice Hockey Membership below the Abu Dhabi Sports activities Council, which later developed into the Abu Dhabi Ice Sports activities Membership.
The UAE Nationwide Ice Hockey Workforce clinched first place in its debut at a championship in Hong Kong in 1999 and secured second place in the identical event in 2000. Extra not too long ago, the workforce received the gold medal on the Gulf Ice Hockey Championship in Kuwait in 2022, reaching an ideal rating.
The workforce’s worldwide achievements continued with its victory within the 2023 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship Division II in Türkiye, following its triumph within the 2022 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship Division III in Luxembourg.
Hamel Ahmed Al Qubaisi, Vice President of the UAE Winter Sports activities Federation, said, “On the federation, we’re dedicated to elevating winter sports activities to a worldwide stage and fostering a wholesome, cohesive society in step with the UAE Centennial 2071.”
He highlighted the federation’s dedication to implementing programmes geared toward expertise discovery and advancing the game’s world competitiveness whereas supporting nationwide groups with promising expertise able to representing the UAE in worldwide occasions.
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