Medals in athletics, taekwondo and fencing coincide with high-level training camps in the UAE and abroad
With early podium finishes already secured and training camps underway both in the UAE and overseas, preparations for the 2026–2027 sports season are taking shape across Sharjah Women’s Sports Clubs. The program combines competition, international exposure and access to specialized expertise, with the aim of raising athletes’ readiness and building on the achievements of the previous season.
The first positive signs came through international competitions, where SWS athletes delivered strong performances across several sports and age categories. In athletics, Sara Fahad and Alya Khalid each claimed gold at the 2nd Fahir Özgüden Sprint & Hurdles Cup in Türkiye in 2026, with Sara winning the U18 400m hurdles and Alya taking gold in the U18 2000m steeplechase.
In taekwondo, Sharjah Women’s Sports Club athletes added three medals during their participation in the Al Hassan International Taekwondo Championship in Jordan. Majda Al Ketbi secured silver in the -55kg category, while Salma Najeeb claimed bronze at -44kg and Jannah Yousuf earned bronze at -52kg, in a championship that attracted broad international participation.
Fencing also maintained its presence on the podium, with Zainab Mousa winning gold in foil at the Kingdom Open Women’s Fencing Championship in Saudi Arabia.
In team sports, Sharjah Women’s Sports Club’s basketball team is preparing to open its new season with an Arab competition through participation in the 27th Arab Women’s Basketball Clubs Championship, to be hosted in Alexandria, Egypt, from September 3 to 12, 2026.
The team enters the competition after a domestic season in which it won both the league and cup titles, in addition to claiming silver at the Arab Women Sports Tournament 2026. The team will depart tomorrow, August 20, for Türkiye for a one-week training camp as part of its preparations for the championship, with a focus on raising technical and physical readiness and strengthening cohesion among the players ahead of the competition.
Preparation Extends Beyond Competition
Alongside these results, preparations for the new season continue through a series of camps designed around the specific needs of each sport, the athletes’ level and upcoming competitions. The program combines training at the Sharjah Women’s Sports Olympic Centre with overseas camps that provide different levels of competitive exposure and experience.
In shooting, the Sharjah Women’s Sports Olympic Centre is hosting a training camp from August 18 to 27, featuring morning and evening sessions as well as physical preparation programs under the supervision of an Olympic technical expert specializing in shooter development and high-performance training.
Fencing is also undergoing a combination of domestic and international preparation. The sabre team traveled to Türkiye for a training camp from August 16 to 25, alongside teams and national squads from different countries, with the aim of increasing competitive exposure and developing the athletes’ technical abilities.
At the same time, the Sharjah Women’s Sports Olympic Centre is hosting an international epee and foil camp from August 16 to 21, bringing together athletes from the UAE, Oman, France, Australia, the United States and Palestine in the U15 and U17 categories. The camp gives young and talented fencers an opportunity to train in a diverse competitive environment and gain early exposure to different fencing schools and approaches.
The current preparation program also includes an overseas judo camp in Almaty, Kazakhstan, as part of a series of camps aimed at raising team readiness ahead of upcoming competitions.
Al Amri: Preparing for the Season Is an Integrated Process
Mai Al Amri, Deputy Director of Sharjah Women’s Sports Club, said preparations for the new season are based on an integrated approach that goes beyond immediate results.
“We see this phase as an opportunity to build on what the athletes have already achieved and raise their readiness for the new season according to the needs of each sport and age category,” she said.
“This is why our preparation program combines domestic and international camps, competitive events, and the hosting of international experts and teams, giving the athletes multiple opportunities to develop and gain experience. The results achieved recently are positive indicators, but what matters most to us is continuing to build on them and ensuring that this preparation translates into stronger performance and greater consistency throughout the season.”
Al Amri added that the Sharjah Women’s Sports Olympic Centre, with its specialized sports facilities and advanced performance-analysis technologies, together with its integrated system of physical preparation, sports medicine, recovery, scientific support and mental preparation, has enabled the development of preparation programs across different sports.
She noted that the Centre has also expanded opportunities to host specialized sports experts, teams and athletes from different countries, strengthening the quality of the training environment and international exposure while giving teams greater flexibility to structure their preparation programs around the specific requirements of each sport and competition.
Al Sayed: Effective Preparation Begins with Understanding the Athlete’s Needs
Dr. Al Sayed Sami, Scientific Advisor for Performance Development at Sharjah Women’s Sports, said the value of preparation programs should not be measured simply by the number of camps or training hours, but by how closely they respond to athletes’ needs and the demands of each sport and competitive phase.
“We work to ensure that every stage of preparation is linked to a clear objective whose impact can be monitored and measured, whether that involves developing a technical component, improving physical capacity, or enhancing mental readiness and recovery,” he said.
“This requires continuous assessment of athletes’ performance indicators and close coordination between technical teams and supporting specialists, allowing training to become more precise and ensuring that the work carried out during camps translates into tangible progress in competition.”
He added that the integration of training, scientific testing, performance analysis, medical services and recovery provides a more comprehensive view of athlete development and helps technical teams make more informed decisions throughout the different stages of preparation.
Sharjah Women’s Sports Clubs will continue their training programs in the coming period according to the competition calendar and requirements of each sport, with the aim of building on the early results and strengthening athletes’ readiness for a more competitive season, while continuing to invest in talent development and raise the level of participation in domestic and international events.
