Third edition records 194 entries across basketball, archery, and shooting
Sharjah Women’s Sports concluded the third edition of the Sharjah Government Women’s Champions Cup on Thursday, September 10, 2026, following a full day of competition that brought together employees from 25 entities in 3×3 basketball, shooting, and archery at the organization’s headquarters in Al Qulaya. The event was sponsored by the Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority and Sharjah Cooperative Society.
A total of 194 entries were recorded across the three sports. Shooting maintained its strong appeal as the most popular discipline in the event, drawing 101 participants, while archery saw growing interest with 66 participants. In 3×3 basketball, six teams competed, bringing together 27 employees.
Some participants also chose to compete in more than one sport this year, reflecting a growing interest in broadening their experience and exploring different disciplines. This is one of the key aims of the championship, which seeks to give employees the opportunity to try a variety of sports in practice and discover activities that may encourage them to continue beyond the competition itself.
The championship day followed an official training phase held on September 8 and 9, giving participants the opportunity to become familiar with the sports and prepare for competition, especially those trying some of the disciplines for the first time.
Sport Closer to the Workplace
Her Excellency Hanan Al Mahmoud, Vice Chairperson of Sharjah Women’s Sports, said the continued organization of the championship for a third edition reflects the importance of community sport as a pathway that brings physical activity closer to women through the environments that form part of their daily lives.
She added: “Reaching employees from 25 entities highlights the value of partnership with workplaces in encouraging women to participate in sport. When an employee receives support from her workplace to train, compete, and represent her team, sport becomes more closely connected to her daily reality, and shifts from being an interest she may postpone because of other responsibilities into a real experience she can begin with.”
She continued: “What we want is for the impact of participation to continue after the championship itself, whether through an employee discovering a sport that suits her and continuing with it, colleagues encouraging one another to stay active, or an experience that reaches the family and introduces a younger generation to a new sport. This aligns with the organization’s work to expand participation and create multiple pathways that allow women and girls to connect with sport at different stages of their lives.”
Variety Opens New Doors to Participation
For her part, Her Excellency Moza Al Shamsi, Director of Sharjah Women’s Sports, said the participation patterns seen in the third edition offer important indicators of employees’ interest in trying a variety of sports.
She explained: “Shooting continues to enjoy clear popularity among participants, which was once again evident in this year’s total of 101 participants. What is equally notable, however, is the growing interest in archery, which reached 66 participants, in addition to the presence of employees who chose to try more than one sport. For us, these are important indicators because they confirm that making sports accessible through direct experience can introduce women to options they may not previously have considered and encourage them to discover activities that match their interests.”
She added: “The success of community sport is not measured only by organizing an event, but by its ability to open a new door to participation. Every participant who leaves the championship with greater knowledge of a sport, or with the desire to try it again or sign up to train in it, represents a real impact that we can build on.”
Al Shamsi also praised the participating entities for supporting their employees and thanked the Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority and Sharjah Cooperative Society for sponsoring and supporting the third edition.
Sajaya Retains Basketball Title
In the competition results, Sajaya Young Ladies of Sharjah continued its dominance in the 3×3 basketball event, claiming first place for the third consecutive edition. Arada finished second, while Sharjah Women’s Sports came third.
In archery, Sumaya Al Blooshi of the Sharjah Academy for Police Sciences took first place, followed by Marie Nehme of United Arab Bank in second, while Sheikha Al Junaibi of the Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq) came third.
In shooting, Hamda Al Hermoudi of the Department of Municipal Affairs finished first, followed by Fatima Al Shamsi of the Financial Control Department in second place. Sheikha Al Junaibi of the Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq) finished third, securing a place on the podium in two sports during the same edition.
The closing ceremony included the crowning of the winners in the presence of Her Excellency Hanan Al Mahmoud, Vice Chairperson of Sharjah Women’s Sports, Her Excellency Moza Al Shamsi, Director of the organization, and Fatima Obaid Al Suwaidi, Head of Partner Relations at the Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority.
The total prize value presented during the championship reached AED 26,000, with the closing ceremony honoring the top individual and team winners across the three sports.
Indicators Beyond Participation Numbers
Maryam Kashwani, Community Sports Executive at Sharjah Women’s Sports, said this edition showed a clear development in employees’ relationship with the championship from one year to the next.
She explained: “We saw employees returning to compete in sports different from those they tried in the previous edition, and entities expanding their participation after colleagues encouraged one another to join. We also noticed some participants asking about training opportunities after trying one of the sports. These are important indicators for us, because they mean the impact of the championship can extend beyond the competition day itself.”
Participants’ Experiences Beyond the Competition Day
The participants’ experiences reflected different aspects of the championship’s impact, from returning to try a new sport, to mutual encouragement among colleagues, to inspiration reaching the family.
Mona Al Hadidi of the Sharjah Environment and Protected Areas Authority returned to participate in the cup for the second time after competing in basketball in the previous edition, choosing this year to try shooting and archery.
Al Hadidi said: “I make a point of returning to participate because the championship reminds us, amid work and daily responsibilities, of the importance of keeping sport part of our routine and our way of life. I competed in basketball last year, and this time I wanted to try something different, so I chose shooting and archery, and it was a very enjoyable experience. This variety encourages us to discover new sports and keep moving.”
From the same entity, Sheikha Al Tunaiji highlighted the value of mutual encouragement among employees, saying: “We encourage one another at the authority to participate, and that continued throughout the championship as well. We followed our colleagues’ competitions and supported one another, which added a great deal to the atmosphere of the day. Sport is part of my routine, and events like this give me extra motivation to continue. At the same time, they can also encourage other employees to begin participating.”
Meanwhile, Fatima Al Ali of the Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq) pointed to the expansion in participation from her entity compared with last year, after the previous experience encouraged more colleagues to join, bringing the number of participants from Shurooq in this edition to around 13 employees.
She said: “The excitement among us was clear from the moment we started preparing for the championship, and for me it extended to home as well. My family was excited about my participation, encouraging me and wishing me success. I really enjoyed shooting after trying it, so I looked into the training packages offered by Sharjah Women’s Sports, and I would like to register to practice it with my daughter. For me, the best outcome of taking part was discovering a sport I enjoy and want to continue with, and perhaps share with my daughter as well.”
These experiences reflect the impact the Sharjah Government Women’s Champions Cup aims to create: extending participation beyond the competition day into more regular practice, or into motivation that spreads among colleagues and families, widening awareness of sport and encouraging its continuity.
