A call to form a GCC Sports Disputes Resolution Authority has been put under further observations recently during the 81st meeting of the Executive Office of Presidents of the GCC National Olympic Committees held in Dubai.
The proposal was submitted by chairman of Bahrain’s Supreme Council for Youth and Sports and president of the Bahrain Olympic Committee (BOC) Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa at the 28th Presidents of the GCC National Olympic Committees in Kuwait last April.
BOC general secretary Abdulrahman Askar chaired the Bahrain delegation at the meeting, which also discussed other topics, the most significant of which will be Saudi Arabia’s King Abdulla bin Abdulaziz to patronize the Second GCC Games that will take place in 2015.
The executive office also approved the initiative of Shaikh Ahmedm bin Mohammed Al Maktoum, president of the UAE Olympic Committee, to host the First GCC Junior Beach Games, and aims to prepare a young and promising generation of athletes.
Other issues included the report submitted by Qatar to organize the Second GCC Beach Games from April 3 to 16 in 2015. The Games will have seven sports – football, handball, volleyball, swim in open sea, sailing, rafting and 3X3 basketball.
It was also announced that Oman will be embracing the GCC Fourth Women’s Games from March 8 to 17 next year, and will feature 10 events, namely handball, volleyball, basketball, bowling, shooting, tennis, athletics, equestrian, chess, athletics for special needs.
The first week of June 2015 will see the third Sports and Environment Conference in the UAE, while Yemen’s request to fully join the GCC sports system has been put on hold.
The meeting was also attended by Assistant Secretary-General for Administration and Environment Affairs at the GCC Secretariat General Dr Abdullah Oqlah al Hashim, as well as other GCC National Olympic Committee general secretaries Obaid Zayed Al Anezi (Kuwait), Mohammed Al Kammali (UAE), Mohammed Al Meshel (Saudi Arabia(), Taha Al Kishri (Oman) and Mishal Al Khalifa (Qatar).