Sports | Sunday 4 February, 2018 1:45 am |

Thursday draw for the basketball, karate and fencing competitions in the Arab Women Sports Tournament (AWST 2018) has produced a mouth-watering line-up of matches in all three events as the female athletes look to make their mark on the fourth edition of the event – the largest in its history – which kicks off today (Saturday).

 

Running until February 12, AWST is the largest pan-Arab sporting event and is organised by Sharjah Women's Sports Foundation (SWSF) under the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, wife of His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah, Chairperson of the Supreme Council for Family Affairs (SCFA) and Chairperson of SWSF.

 

Fierce rivalry at Arab women’s basketball competitions

The basketball draw will be fiercely contested between seven Arab teams, with the UAE bringing up the curtain of AWST 2018 when they face Saudi Arabia in the first match. The opening basketball match will see Sharjah Sports Club for Women playing against Saudi Arabia’s Jeddah United team on Saturday, February 3, at SWSF’s Gymnasium.

 

Jordan’s Fuheis Club team will play against Somali Mogadishu Club, which is determined to make a strong showing at the tournament.  This will be followed by another tough game between Kuwait’s Girl Club and Egyptian Sporting Club.

 

On AWST’s second day, the Jeddah United Club will face Kuwait’s Girl Club, while Bahraini Mawaheb Club will play against Somali Mogadishu Club, and Sharjah Sports Club for Women is set to face Jordanian Fuheis Club.

 

On February 5, Egyptian Sporting Club will meet Jordan’s Fuheis Club, while Sharjah Sports Club for Women will face Somali Mogadishu Club, and the Jeddah United Club will play against Bahraini Mawaheb Club to conclude the third day.

 

On Wednesday, February 7, Kuwaiti Girl Club will meet rivals Bahraini Mawaheb Club, followed by a tough match between Fuheis Club and Saudi opponents Jeddah United. In another expected edge-of-the-seat confrontation, Somali Mogadishu Club will face Egyptian Sporting Club.

 

The tournament’s fifth day will see no-holds barred competitions for teams looking to qualify for the semifinals, which will bring Jeddah United Club against Somali Mogadishu Club, and Sharjah Sports Club for Women versus Kuwait Girl Club, and finally Bahraini Mawaheb Club against Egyptian Sporting Club.

 

On Friday, February 9, the Kuwait Girl Club will face Jordanian Fuheis Club, while Egyptian Sporting Club will play Jeddah United Club, and Sharjah Sports Club for Women is set for a fierce head-to-head with Bahraini Mawaheb Club.

 

With all teams determined to make the knock out rounds, Somali Mogadishu Club will face Kuwait Girl Club, while Jordan’s Fuheis Club looks to the final game. Sharjah Sports Club for Women will meet tough opponents Egyptian Sporting Club in a decisive match on Monday, February 12.

 

Karate to make a strong debut

Making its very first appearance at AWST, the Karate draw comprised the UAE, Jordan, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Kuwait and Iraq.

 

The draw for the single kata competitions determined that Isel Khattab from Jordan’s Nepocan Club will face Manal Al Zaid from Saudi Arabia’s Al Dojo Club, while Fai Khalifa from Bahrain Academy Club has been given a bye straight through to the semi-finals.

 

Rowza Younis from Iraqi Peshmerga Club will face Salama Al Akrawi from the Sharjah Sports Club for Women.

 

In the under 50kg team kata competitions, Sharjah Sports Club will face Al Dojo Club, while Iraqi Peshmerga Club will play against UAE’s Al Nasr Club. Isel Khattab from Jordan’s Nepocan Club will face Fai Khalifa, while Saudi’s Muneira Al Ruwaitei from Al Dojo Club will play against Emirati Howra Mohammed Abbas. Iraqi Shara Faeq from Peshmerga Club has been given a bye for the semi-finals.

 

The under 50kg karate competitions will see Fatima Al Shawbkeh from Jordan’s Nepocan Club face Saudi counterpart Amena Daftardar from Al Dojo Club, while Yasmeen Hamdi from the National Bank of Egypt also has been given a bye through to the semi-finals.

 

In the under 61kg karate competitions, Jordanian Haider from Nepocan Club is up against Saudi’s Amjad Al Omar from Al Dojo Club, and Nariman Mohammed from the National Bank of Egypt will face Iraq’s Lizan Faeq from Peshmerga Club.

 

In the under 68kg competitions, Sharjah Sports Club for Women’s Amena Jaafari will meet her Saudi counterpart Ghaya Al Khalid from Al Jodo Club.

 

In the over 68kg competitions, the UAE’s Shuaa Masoud from Sharjah Sports Club for Women will meet compatriot Sara Al Amir from Al Nasr Club, while Nada Khalid from the National Bank of Egypt will face Saudi’s Bodour Al Sadhan from Al Jodo Club.

 

In the karate team kata competitions, Sharjah Sports Club for Women’s players will meet Al Nasr club, while the National Bank of Egypt has been given a bye for the semi-finals. Saudi players from Al Dojo Club will face a very strong Nepocan Club from Jordan, while Iraqi’s Peshmerga Club will enjoy a bye straight through to the for semis.

 

Fencing draw sets up nail-biting matches

Teams from the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Egypt will participate in the fencing competitions, with the single sabre and epee competitions taking place on Saturday, February 3.

 

The group sabre and epee competitions, depending on the knockout rule, will take place on Sunday, February 4, ending the competition with the crowning of the winners in each category on the same day.

 

The draw was attended by representatives from the Arab Karate Federations, the Union of National Arab Olympic Committees and the Arab League. Director of technical and administrative bodies and training teams, referees and Arab players of the three sporting displaces, were also present.