Under the patronage of His Highness Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa, First Deputy Chairman of the Supreme Council for Youth and Sports, Chairman of the General Sports Authority, and President of Bahrain Olympic Committee, the First Scientific International Physical Literacy Conferences opened on Sunday, December 1, 2024. Organised by the Bahrain Olympic Committee in collaboration with the University of Bahrain and the Canadian Organisation Sport for Life Society, the conference is being held at Shaikh Abdulaziz bin Mohammed Al Khalifa Hall at the University of Bahrain until December 3. The event is attracting the participation of 780 students from the Department of Physical Education and representatives from national federations and clubs.
The opening ceremony was attended by Dr Lina Mohammed Khunji, Dean of the College of Health and Sports Sciences at the University of Bahrain; Mr Ahmed Mohammed Abdul Ghaffar, Executive Director of Operations at the Olympic Committee; Dr Nader Jamali, Director of the Sports Education Department at the Ministry of Education; Dr Nabeel Taha, President of the Olympic Academy; Dr Manar AlTamimi, Chairperson of Physical Education Department at the University of Bahrain; and other distinguished guests.
The ceremony commenced with the reciting of the national anthem, followed by a Quran recitation. Subsequently, Mr Ahmed Mohammed Abdul Ghaffar, Executive Director of Operations at the Olympic Committee, delivered a welcome address. He conveyed the greetings of the President and Board of Directors of the Olympic Committee to the attendees. He expressed pride in the partnership with the University of Bahrain and the Canadian Organisation Sport for Life Society.
He added that this conference aligns with the Olympic Committee's commitment to supporting initiatives that promote a healthier and more dynamic society and nurturing a generation of athletes capable of achieving excellence and representing the nation with honour. He expressed gratitude to all parties involved in organising the conference.
Dr Lina Mohammed Khunji, Dean of the College of Health and Sports Sciences at the University of Bahrain, then addressed the audience. She expressed pride in organising the conference in collaboration with the Olympic Committee and the Canadian Sport for Life Society. Dr Khunji emphasised the university's commitment to promoting physical culture and encouraging physical activity for health. She highlighted the importance of utilising the conference as a platform for exchanging ideas, opinions, and experiences to advance the field of physical literacy.
Mr Thomas Jones, Director of International Engagement for the Canadian Organisation Sport for Life Society, expressed his pleasure in participating in the conference. He acknowledged the Kingdom of Bahrain's commitment to advancing physical literacy initiatives, building on years of progress in this field. Mr. Jones emphasised the importance of physical literacy in promoting sports participation and fostering a generation that is healthy, happy, and capable of achieving athletic excellence. He wished all participants a fruitful conference.
The conference sessions commenced with Richard Wee's keynote address on "Sport for Life." This was followed by a presentation by Mr Jassim Mohamed Al Kuwari, Head of the Physical Education Department at the Ministry of Education, on "The Bahraini Experience in Teaching Physical Literacy." Subsequently, Richard Wee delivered talks on "Long-Term Sports Development," "Movement Preparation," and "High-Quality Sports."
