His Highness Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Dubai Sports Council (DSC), has emphasised that the leadership places the utmost importance on education, with sports being a key element in nurturing a generation capable of contributing to the nation’s future.
His Highness said that schools play a vital role in inspiring up-and-coming generations to reimagine the future of the UAE and the world in every area. He added that the vitality and joy imbued in young minds through sports and physical education help hone innate talents and intellects. HH Sheikh Mansoor was speaking during a visit to honour winners of the second edition of the Hamdan bin Mohammed Order of Merit for Sports Education School, awarded by the DSC to one public school and one private school in recognition of their outstanding sports programmes and achievements. This year, the honours were conferred on the Dubai International Academy and Al-Maaref School for Boys. DSC and the International House of Experience visited and evaluated 72 public and private schools for the second edition of the Hamdan Bin Mohammed Order of Merit. The evaluation process was based on four factors: sports excellence, infrastructure, sustainable health initiatives, and competence and efficiency of school management. Dubai International Academy won the medal among private schools as it enables its students to practice 19 sports. Some 1,600 students, representing 70% of the school’s enrolment, are involved in various sports activities. The school was represented by 164 teams competing in various tournaments nationally and overseas – in Britain, Spain, Italy, Sri Lanka, and India – through the academic year. Teams from the school won 19 titles in the 2022–2023 academic year, and 25 students also won sports scholarships. The school hosts 23 championships every year, and several of its students have gone on to represent clubs in Dubai and also national teams