Sharjah Women’s Sports introduces the discipline at Khorfakkan Women’s Sports Club and draws on the experience of Barcelona Rowing Club
Sharjah Women’s Sports has officially introduced rowing at Khorfakkan Women’s Sports Club, one of its affiliated clubs, marking a new step in expanding the presence of water sports within the women’s sports landscape in the Emirate of Sharjah. The move also reflects the unique character of Khorfakkan, known as the “ Bride of the East Coast,” whose natural environment and coastal location provide promising potential for the sport to grow and develop.
The introduction of rowing forms part of the organization’s wider approach to expanding the range of sports offered across its clubs and creating more diverse training pathways for girls and female athletes. The initiative aims to identify and develop sporting abilities, broaden participation, and establish training environments that reflect the characteristics and potential of each city.
Rowing training in Khorfakkan is set to be delivered in cooperation with Sajaya Young Ladies of Sharjah, an affiliate of Rubu’ Qarn Foundation for Creating Future Leaders and Innovators, while the Sharjah International Marine Sports Club Centre in Khorfakkan will also serve as a supporting training venue. This collaboration strengthens institutional integration among entities working to develop girls’ capabilities and expand their participation in sport, while positioning rowing as a new pathway for promoting sport as a healthy and sustainable way of life in the city.
As part of preparations to develop the discipline and benefit from specialized international expertise, a delegation from Sharjah Women’s Sports visited Barcelona Rowing Club to review its operational model, age-group structure, training programs, facility management, and the logistical and technical services provided to male and female athletes. The visit supports benchmarking efforts linked to the launch of rowing and its future development.
Her Excellency Moza Al Shamsi, Director of Sharjah Women’s Sports, said during the delegation’s visit, which focused on exploring best practices in the management of water sports, that introducing rowing at Khorfakkan Women’s Sports Club represents an important step in expanding women’s sports across different cities in the Emirate.
“We see rowing as a promising sport that is particularly well suited to Khorfakkan’s coastal environment and natural advantages, while opening a new pathway for girls to participate and develop athletically,” she said.
“By studying best practices at specialized clubs, we aim to build a well-planned model that draws on successful approaches to training and facility management, while adapting them to our local context and to the organization’s objectives of expanding participation and developing sporting abilities.”
Her Excellency added:
“We do not view the introduction of a new sport as merely an administrative decision. We see it as the beginning of an integrated development pathway that starts with understanding the right environment and extends to training, recruitment, workforce development, and partnerships with supporting entities.
“This is why learning from specialized experiences is so important. It helps us turn the launch of a new discipline into a sustainable model capable of creating a genuine impact within the sports community and expanding opportunities for girls to participate in sports that suit the potential of each area.”
The initiative also aligns with Sharjah Women’s Sports’ efforts to develop qualified sports professionals capable of leading future growth across a range of disciplines. During its previous phases, the Sports Leadership Program, implemented by Sharjah Capability Development in partnership with Sharjah Women’s Sports, worked to prepare specialized leaders across a range of sports professions, strengthening the ability of local talent to translate knowledge and practical experience into projects and initiatives that support the women’s sports sector.
Asma Al Balushi, Director of the Facilities Department at Sharjah Sports Council, who took part in the visit, said exposure to specialized models in sports facility management opens important opportunities for developing more integrated future projects.
“The value of these visits lies in the opportunity to conduct practical benchmarking against existing models, whether in facility design, space allocation, or operating systems that allow venues to serve different user groups,” she said.
“In water sports in particular, it is essential to understand the relationship between location, training routes, supporting services, and safety standards to ensure that facilities can support sporting activity efficiently and sustainably.”
She added:
“Benchmarking does not mean replicating another model exactly. It means understanding the elements behind its success, assessing how relevant they are to local needs, and applying those lessons in a way that supports sports facility development plans in Sharjah.
“What we observed also reinforces the importance of integrating training facilities, logistical services, and community spaces, particularly in sports that require specialized environments such as rowing and other water sports.”
Her Excellency Hanan Al Mahmoud, Vice Chairperson of Sharjah Women’s Sports, said on the sidelines of the visit that the continued development of women’s sports requires regular exposure to models that successfully combine community participation with high-performance competitive training.
“At this stage, our priority is to build a system capable of serving more than one pathway at the same time: one that allows members of the community to experience and participate in sport, and another that provides female athletes with a professional training environment that supports progression and achievement,” she said.
“The models we reviewed demonstrated the importance of flexible facility management and the effective distribution of training hours, allowing participation to expand while still providing high-level training spaces for athletes and competitive teams.”
Her Excellency added:
“Introducing rowing at Khorfakkan Women’s Sports Club reflects a clear direction toward making better use of the unique characteristics of our cities and regions when selecting the sports most suited to them, while expanding the range of activities available to girls in safe and encouraging environments.
“Institutional partnerships, exposure to best practices, and benchmarking are all important elements in turning these directions into programs that can be implemented effectively and sustained over the long term.”
The introduction of rowing at Khorfakkan Women’s Sports Club reflects Sharjah Women’s Sports’ integrated approach to expanding the women’s sports landscape, capitalizing on the distinct characteristics of different cities and regions, and building supportive partnerships that help transform sport into a sustainable practice. It also contributes to developing sporting capabilities and further establishing sport as a healthy way of life within the community.
