First pilot program delivered by Dubai Sports City

Following on from the recent successful Sportaccord sports conference, the Dubai School Agency of  the Knowledge & Human Development Authority (KHDA) has taken the lead under the Princess Haya Initiative for the Development of Health, Physical Education & School Sports to widen the range of sports offered to Dubai Public schools children and has joined hands with Dubai Sports City to deliver the first cricket coach education programme for PE teachers of the public schools.  This first of its kind pilot program was conducted at the Dubai Sports City International Cricket Stadium to a group of 16 physical education teachers from various public schools within Dubai.

The programme was delivered as part of the wider strategy of the Princess Haya Initiative to promote physical education and an active lifestyle amongst schools children and introduced cricket for the very first time in the physical education curriculum of public schools. Physical Education teachers will be delivering cricket lessons in more than10 public schools to more than 2000 students in the first phase.

The Princess Haya Initiative for the Development of Health, Physical Education & School Sports is committed to developing and promoting all sports at a grassroots level and providing all children with the support to embrace an active lifestyle.  Sport has been accepted as a lifestyle choice to develop athletic skills, build confidence and create a base of life skills for the students.

Mr. Ahmad Abdul-Rahman, Project Manager of The Princess Haya Initiative participated in the coaching programme, “It was great to see our teachers going through an introduction in cricket coaching course by International Cricket Council Global Cricket Academy coaches, the PE teachers were excited to be part of the programme and feel confident of implementing a well designed and structured cricket curriculum in our public schools.

Jeff O’Brien, Academies Manager at Dubai Sports City was also full of praise for the initiative.  ‘We have been working on this relationship for some time and to see the first pilot program delivered is very exciting.  We believe this will be the start of a very productive relationship which uses fully the assets of Dubai for the advancement and growth of the population and broader community and of course the students of KHDA.’