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Arab News Post • Feb 05, 2023
Jeddah United fulfills basketball dream 20 years in the making
Arab News Post
Co-founder and chairperson Lina Almaeena tells Arab News what it means to win the Saudi Games for the competition’s only private club "Everything starts with a dream. Then a goal."
Almost 20 years ago, Lina Almaeena had a dream to set up a basketball team under the name Jeddah United.
At the time, establishing a competitive female basketball team was not as easy as it is today, quite simply because in the past, the Kingdom had no basketball competitions for women to speak of.
But things have changed drastically in recent years.
Female sports and leagues are proliferating and only recently, saw many individuals and teams take part in the Saudi Games 2022, one of the country’s biggest-ever sporting events.
The tournament saw competitions in more than 45 sports, and one of them was women’s basketball.
It has been a long road to get to this point for Almaeena and her colleagues. “Jeddah United started around 20 years ago at a time when sports for girls was self-censored, when there was no legislation for sports clubs, no PE in school,” Almaeena said.
“Throughout the years, Jeddah United, under a commercial license, trained tens of thousands of women and young girls in team sports within private courts and fields. The women’s team traveled the world, from Malaysia to the US, to learn from playing friendly matches with other teams, as well as changing stereotypes of Saudi women in the media.”
“We tried as a sports community to recruit international experts living in the Kingdom,” she said. “We also hired female coaches and collaborated with international federations like the NBA and WNBA, with the aim of promoting the culture of sports, and especially team sports, in the Kingdom. We started a Khobar United branch and Riyadh United in 2011 as our vision was a united, energetic society.”
The years of hard work paid off. “We are so honored to have won first place in the historic Saudi Games’ basketball competition,” said the co-founder and chairperson of Jeddah United. “This honor comes from the fact that the main official sponsor of the Saudi Olympics was the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman.
“We are reaping the fruits of Vision 2030, increasing participation (in) physical activity and forming a healthier and happier society for everyone living on this land,” she said. “The Saudi Games opening had an energy, I felt like it was the energy of the crown prince whose bold reforms enabled us as women specifically to celebrate, participate and compete in nation-building in general, and sports on this occasion.”
Almaeena is grateful for the backing she has received from leading figures in the Kingdom. She highlighted the support of the Minister of Sport Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal; Prince Fahd bin Jalawi, the vice president of the Saudi Olympic Committee; Princess Delayel Nahar Al-Saud, advisor to the VP; and Adwa Al-Arifi, deputy minister for planning and development at the Ministry of Sport. She also thanked the presidents of all the sporting federations, as well as those who helped make her “wonderful dream come true.”
“Jeddah United was undefeated, the only private club among government-backed clubs,” she said of the Saudi Games experience. “That marked a successful example of privatization and how PPP will contribute to the reduction of cost and support the development of the national economy.
Almaeena also thanked and congratulated the athletes, coaches, administration, as well the team’s sponsors UBT, Haji Husein Alireza & Co., Mafasel Clinics and Layal Spa. She said others who made a difference were motivational speakers and doctors who took the time to talk to the team before the Games, which included Dr. Hala Mosli, Dr. Mohammad Hakeem and Dr. Hussar Alnajjar.
“Last but not least we owe this win to the families of all the athletes, who supported their loved ones throughout a very intense training period and competition with their physical, mental and emotional support,” Almaeena added. “I for sure owe it to my family and friends who really made me believe that we will win the gold. This occasion gave us a sense of increased strength and unity of the country with a number of athletes coming together from across Saudi to compete.”
“We look forward to next year’s new edition of the Saudi Games,” she said.
Source: https://www.arabnews.com/node/2200761/sport
شارك فريق البلياردو النسائي التابع لنادي جدة يونايتد في الجولة الثالثة من دوري «جولدن سنت» للبلياردو و الذي ينظمه الاتحاد السعودي للبلياردو والسنوكر بمركز تدريب اتحاد البلياردو في الرياض و ذلك بمشاركة 8 اندية نسائية وهي: نادي جدة يونايتد نادي الاتحاد نادي النصر نادي الشباب نادي الفرع نادي الوطني نادي الشرق نادي نيوم وتعد هذه المشاركة هي الثانية لفريق البلياردو النسائي بعد أن حصلوا في الموسم السابق علي المركز الخامس على مستوى المملكة في أولى مشاركتهم, و في هذا الموسم تأهلت اللاعبتان دانا أبوراشد و جوري أبو راشد للدور السادس عشر بعد انتصارهم على نادي الشباب ونادي الفرع . كمان انتصرت دانه ابوراشد على نادي الفرع و نادي الشباب في الأدوار الأولى وانتصرت جوري ابوراشد على نادي الاتحاد ونادي الفرع في الأدوار الأولى وانتصرت دانا كردي على نادي الشباب ولمار التركستاني على نادي الفرع . و من منطلق حرص إدارة نادي جده يونايتد على كفاءة اللاعبات و جاهزيتهم تستمر التدريبات للفريق كاملا ( دانة أبوراشد – جوري أبوراشد – ليان حلبي – لمار التركستاني – تالة قملو – دانة كردي – ابتهاج بخيت – نردين الاندجاني – تالة خيرو ) للتجهيز للجولة الرابعة في مدينة جدة والتي ستكون بتاريخ ٣ مايو ٢٠٢٤ مصدر الصورة: https://twitter.com/saudi_pool/status/1780698166117244991/photo/1
استقبل الأمير سعود بن جلوي محافظ مدينة جدة لاعبات نادي جدة يونايتد الحاصلات على الميدالية الذهبية في دورة الالعاب السعودية للمرة الثانية على التوالي في منافسات كرة السلة للسيدات هذا الاستقبال هو شرف لنا ، ويزيد من حماس اللاعبات لتقديم الأفضل دائمًا والسعي نحو تحقيق المزيد من الإنجازات
زيارة معالي وزير التعليم الأستاذ يوسف البنيان إلى جامعة الأعمال والتكنولوجيا “UBT”، حيث استقبله سعادة رئيس مجلس امناء جامعة الاعمال والتكنولوجيا، الدكتور عبدالله دحلان، لمقابلة لاعبات #جدة_يونايتد اللذين فازو بدورة الألعاب السعودية للمرة الثانية على التوالي، برعاية جامعة الاعمال والتكنولوجيا. وقام معالي الوزير بالتوقيع على كرة السلة، تعبيرًا عن دعمه للتعليم والرياضة. The visit of His Excellency, Minister of Education Mr. Yousuf Al-Benyan, to the University of Business and Technology “UBT,” where he was welcomed by the Chairman of the Board of Trustee Dr. Abdullah bin Dahlan, was specifically to meet the players of #JeddahUnited who won the Saudi Games for the second consecutive time, under the university’s sponsorship. His Excellency signed a basketball, showing his support for education and sports.
When you play sport, you set your soul free.
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