15 UAE teams to compete across all sports at AWST 2026

January 29, 2026 / 1:50 PM

Sharjah24: The UAE will field 15 teams across all sports at the eighth Arab Women Sports Tournament (AWST 2026), hosted in the Emirate of Sharjah from 2 to 12 February. The biennial tournament brings together 63 teams from 16 Arab countries to compete across nine individual and team sports at 10 venues across three cities in the emirate.

Sharjah Women’s Sports Club forms the backbone of the UAE’s participation, competing in all tournament disciplines. These include basketball, volleyball (accredited by the International Volleyball Federation [FIVB]), fencing, shooting, archery, table tennis, rowing, and taekwondo, which is held under the World Taekwondo G-1 international classification.

The national line-up is further strengthened by participation from Khorfakkan Women’s Sports Club in basketball, Al Wasl Sports Club in volleyball, Fujairah Martial Arts Club in fencing and taekwondo, and Abu Dhabi Athletics Club and Abu Dhabi Archery Club.

Strong athletes and growing ambitions

Several standout athletes headline the UAE squads, including Amina Al Hosani, winner of the Best Libero award at the West Asia Women’s Clubs Championship; Alya Al Naqbi, part of Sharjah’s unbeaten basketball season; hurdler Mahra Abdulrahim; and reigning archery champion Amna Al Awadhi.

Building on 2024 success

The UAE’s participation builds on a strong showing at the 2024 edition, where national teams finished second on the medals table, underscoring the continued growth of women’s sport in the country.