Multi-faceted UAE athlete Muna Al Sahlawi believes dress code should never be a hindrance for Emirati women to practice sports as she revealed her ambition to encourage more local females to get active.
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Originally a volleyball player for Al Shabab Club and the UAE national team, Al Sahlawi, 27, also plays football and badminton, which she was seen promoting at Dubai Sports World earlier this week.
Al Sahlawi took up badminton by pure coincidence. She saw a few videos on YouTube of a random badminton match from the Olympics and decided it was a sport she wanted to pursue. She searched for local tournaments to participate in and was quite disappointed with what she found.
“I learnt the rules of the game from YouTube and started playing. But I was shocked to see that there were no UAE nationals who played badminton, be it men or women. Still that encouraged me even more to take it up and try to get more people to get acquainted with the sport,” Al Sahlawi told Sport360.
“I tried to get more ladies to come to Dubai Sports World last year but UAE women usually prefer to do sports in a more private setting. But still I believe that with time, we can get more women to come and use these fantastic badminton facilities.
“To be honest us women can easily cover up and wear appropriate clothes while practicing any sport, not just badminton. Dress code should never be a hindrance.
The weekend is here! Grab a friend and head down to Dubai Sports World for a game of Badminton! pic.twitter.com/jyPpRAQAMm
— Dubai Sports World (@DXBSportsWorld) July 24, 2014
“Badminton in particular I feel is quite suitable to the nature of a woman. It’s smooth and gets all your muscles and body moving. I really hope to see more local women take it up.
“My parents weren’t too keen on me playing sports but my father and my older brother were on my side. My determination has got me this far and the fact that I showed my family that I can compete in any sport while wearing appropriate clothing eventually helped the rest of my family change their minds and support my decision to be a competitor.”
Al Sahlawi says her main goal is to see a place like Dubai Sports World packed with local men and women making use of the great facilities. She also wants to see UAE women’s national teams recognised by international bodies in every sport.
Besides her role as an ambassador for badminton, Al Sahlawi will be taking on a managerial role in football soon.
“I’m currently focused on badminton because the field in the UAE is quite weak and the sport needs a push. I’m also working in football, and there will be a ladies team at Al Nasr Club that will be established very soon and it will be under my management,” she added.
