
UAE President: Supporting sports sector key pillar of nation's development vision
16 June 2025 14:28
ABU DHABI (WAM)UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has reaffirmed the country's commitment to supporting young Emirati sporting talents, developing their skills and capabilities, and harnessing all available resources to empower them to achieve sporting excellence at regional and international levels.His Highness noted that advancing the sports sector is a central component of the UAE's broader development vision, both now and in the future.His Highness made these remarks during a reception at Qasr Al Bahr in Abu Dhabi, where he met with Rouda Essa Al Serkal, a member of the UAE national chess team and Abu Dhabi Chess Club & Mind Games.The meeting marked her recent triumph at the Arab Chess Championship, where she secured the title of Grandmaster – the first Emirati woman to earn this prestigious international designation – and her qualification for the Chess World Cup finals.His Highness the President congratulated Rouda Al Serkal on this remarkable achievement, describing it as a valuable addition to the UAE's record of accomplishments in chess. His Highness wished her continued success in her upcoming participation in the World Cup and praised the determination and perseverance she has demonstrated since an early age.For her part, Rouda Al Serkal expressed her joy at meeting His Highness and conveyed her gratitude for the support and encouragement she has received.She highlighted the significant role this backing has played in her journey, adding that she is proud to be the first Emirati woman to earn the title of Grandmaster, a milestone that reflects the leadership's vision to empower Emirati women and enable them to realise their ambitions across all fields.
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The National
3 hours ago
- The National
President Sheikh Mohamed meets Emirati chess prodigy Rouda Essa Alserkal
President Sheikh Mohamed met UAE's first woman grandmaster Rouda Essa Alserkal, providing further encouragement to the fast-rising teenager who has made giant strides in the world of chess. Sheikh Mohamed met Rouda, 15, during a reception at Qasr al Bahr in Abu Dhabi. There, the UAE leader 'reaffirmed the country's commitment to supporting young Emirati sporting talents, developing their skills and capabilities, and harnessing all available resources to empower them to achieve sporting excellence at regional and international levels', WAM reported. Rouda, a product of the Abu Dhabi Chess Club, rose to prominence last year when she became the first Emirati woman grandmaster at the Arab Women's Championship in Sharjah. That success resulted in an invitation to the prestigious Norway Chess Open, where Rouda represented the UAE in a competition that featured the top chess players from across the world. There, Rouda concluded her maiden appearance at the competition by winning three consecutive games. Rouda, who turns 16 next month, endured a tough start to the tournament but found form from round seven, when she notched her first win against Norway's Sigur H. Myny. She carried the momentum, scoring her second consecutive win late last month against Italian Mauro Pivi, and capped her campaign earlier this month with victory over France's Franck Gouanelle. She finished with three wins, two draws and four losses. 'It was a learning experience more than anything else,' Alserkal said. 'And I'm proud I stayed with it. Ending with three wins felt really special – I feel like I'm still leaving stronger than I arrived although I could have done much better.' The teenager, who is aiming for the main Grandmaster title in the coming years, said she will learn from her mistakes. 'I was honestly hoping to gain around 100 rating points,' Rouda said. 'Most of the rounds I lost, I was either winning or had a clear advantage but lost my way in the end. That's what frustrated me the most.' Tournament founder Kjell Madland lauded her fighting spirit. 'It is exactly this kind of story that reinforces Norway Chess as a truly global platform. To have young talents like Rouda travel all the way from the UAE to compete at this level adds richness and reach to what we're building here,' he said.


Zawya
4 hours ago
- Zawya
UAE President: Supporting sports sector key pillar of nation's development vision
UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has reaffirmed the country's commitment to supporting young Emirati sporting talents, developing their skills and capabilities, and harnessing all available resources to empower them to achieve sporting excellence at regional and international levels. His Highness noted that advancing the sports sector is a central component of the UAE's broader development vision, both now and in the future. His Highness made these remarks during a reception at Qasr Al Bahr in Abu Dhabi, where he met with Rouda Essa Al Serkal, a member of the UAE national chess team and Abu Dhabi Chess Club & Mind Games. The meeting marked her recent triumph at the Arab Chess Championship, where she secured the title of Grandmaster – the first Emirati woman to earn this prestigious international designation – and her qualification for the Chess World Cup finals. His Highness the President congratulated Rouda Al Serkal on this remarkable achievement, describing it as a valuable addition to the UAE's record of accomplishments in chess. He wished her continued success in her upcoming participation in the World Cup and praised the determination and perseverance she has demonstrated since an early age. For her part, Rouda Al Serkal expressed her joy at meeting His Highness and conveyed her gratitude for the support and encouragement she has received. She highlighted the significant role this backing has played in her journey, adding that she is proud to be the first Emirati woman to earn the title of Grandmaster, a milestone that reflects the leadership's vision to empower Emirati women and enable them to realise their ambitions across all fields.


Al Etihad
6 hours ago
- Al Etihad
UAE President: Supporting sports sector key pillar of nation's development vision
16 June 2025 14:28 ABU DHABI (WAM)UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has reaffirmed the country's commitment to supporting young Emirati sporting talents, developing their skills and capabilities, and harnessing all available resources to empower them to achieve sporting excellence at regional and international Highness noted that advancing the sports sector is a central component of the UAE's broader development vision, both now and in the Highness made these remarks during a reception at Qasr Al Bahr in Abu Dhabi, where he met with Rouda Essa Al Serkal, a member of the UAE national chess team and Abu Dhabi Chess Club & Mind meeting marked her recent triumph at the Arab Chess Championship, where she secured the title of Grandmaster – the first Emirati woman to earn this prestigious international designation – and her qualification for the Chess World Cup Highness the President congratulated Rouda Al Serkal on this remarkable achievement, describing it as a valuable addition to the UAE's record of accomplishments in chess. His Highness wished her continued success in her upcoming participation in the World Cup and praised the determination and perseverance she has demonstrated since an early her part, Rouda Al Serkal expressed her joy at meeting His Highness and conveyed her gratitude for the support and encouragement she has highlighted the significant role this backing has played in her journey, adding that she is proud to be the first Emirati woman to earn the title of Grandmaster, a milestone that reflects the leadership's vision to empower Emirati women and enable them to realise their ambitions across all fields.