First camp heads to Egypt

The Sports Affairs and Development Department at Sharjah Sports Council, working through its Talent Development and Care Division, confirmed the approval. As a first step, an immersion and preparation camp for talented athletes from Sharjah Self-Defence Sports Club will run in Egypt this August, part of the department's wider plan to develop talent across the emirate's clubs.

Al Dokhi: Clubs are the main partner

Jassim Al Dokhi, Head of the Individual Games Section, said nurturing sporting talent sits at the top of the department's priorities. He described Sharjah's clubs as the department's main partners in spotting and refining talent and building development programmes—grounded in established best practices—that get players ready to compete at home and abroad. He credited much of this success to the backing the sports sector receives from the leadership.

Athletes already in the pipeline

Hudhaifa Al Kindi, Head of the Talent Development and Care Division, pointed to close coordination with Sharjah's clubs on these programmes; he said, currently cover 75 talented athletes in individual sports across the emirate, running in line with the council's strategic plan to build future generations of champions, with outside coaches and technical specialists brought in where needed. He listed several strands the department is working on: internal and external training camps, entries in overseas championships, immersion training both inside and outside the UAE, building an environment that attracts talent, and expanding partnerships and capabilities. The programme, he said, currently covers 75 talented athletes in individual sports across the emirate, several of whom have already delivered strong results.

Eyes on the Olympics

According to Al Kindi, the council's Talent Care Committee selects athletes across different sports through a set of individual sport assessments, aiming to reach standards that support the programme's goals around discovery and development, alongside professional training and feeding national teams with athletes capable of delivering results abroad. He pointed to how far the programme has come since it was first approved and said the aim now is to keep pace with global benchmarks — with the Olympics as the long-term target.