Saudi, Emirati women cycling teams participate in first joint training camp

Women from different cities in Saudi Arabia participated in the first joint training camp between Saudi Arabia and the UAE that brought together both national cycling teams from the two countries in the emirate of Fujairah.

The camp’s organizers said that the aim was to instill values of sisterhood, cooperation, leadership values, and develop their skills as well as present opportunities for them in this field.

Eleven Saudi women participated in the camp, which ran from November 21 to 20, where they took on several competitions that included a display of various skills, in preparation for bigger tournaments.

The camp also included several joint trainings between both teams on all levels, to reiterate the international values of cycling among the participants.

The camp aims to shine a light on the sport of cycling, and to receive the suitable support from all sectors of government and civil society, and to encourage different ages in the community to practice cycling for better health and its physical fitness benefits.

A member of the Saudi Cycling Federation, Fatimah al-Bloushi, spoke to Al Arabiya English about her participation in the camp, saying: “Cycling is no longer a hobby or a seasonal sport. It developed to be more like a culture or daily behavior. It became the main interest of the participants. This participation had gained her a lot of experiences with professional trainers and participants in a joint sports camp that serves women’s sports between the two countries.”

Bloushi and her team are keen to participate in local and international tours, to benefit from professional experiences, where they aim to use the camp as a way to boost participation on the international cycling scene.