The competitions will be held at the foundation’s headquarters in Al Qulayaah from 9am to 2.30pm. Official training for participants will take place on 8 and 9 September from noon to 2pm, giving employees an opportunity to prepare for the competitions and gain practical familiarity with the requirements of each sport.

The event combines team and individual disciplines, with 3x3 basketball held alongside 10-metre air rifle shooting and 10-metre archery. The format gives employees the opportunity to try different sports that bring together teamwork, precision, concentration and competition.

Alyazia Al Suwaidi, director of Women’s Sports Department at the Sharjah Women Sports, said: “Community sport represents a key strand of the foundation’s work alongside competitive sport, as it broadens our reach among women and provides opportunities to participate in the environments where they live and work. Against this backdrop, the Sharjah Government Women Champions Cup brings sport directly into the workplace, giving employees a practical opportunity to move from an interest in physical activity to taking part in a real sporting experience that can serve as a foundation for continued participation.”

She added: “We also view government entities as important partners in promoting a culture of movement and healthy practices among female employees. For this reason, we do not measure the impact of the cup solely through results and trophies, but also through its ability to attract more employees to sport, offer varied experiences suited to different interests, and create motivation that can continue beyond the event into a more lasting relationship with physical activity.

“The impact of participation can also extend to the family. Discovering a new sport and experiencing it first-hand may encourage an employee to introduce her daughters or younger sisters to it and guide them towards suitable opportunities to participate. At the foundation, we work through a system of initiatives and programmes covering different age groups, starting from the age of four, alongside cooperation with sister organisations working in the same direction. This expands opportunities for girls to discover sport, identify their interests and build a sporting pathway they can pursue.”

The cup experience is not limited to the day of competition. It begins with employees preparing, representing their organisations and working together as a team — an aspect the event has developed through its previous editions alongside the focus on sporting results.

Sajaya Young Ladies of Sharjah is one example, after its team won the basketball title in the previous two editions and prepares to compete in the third.

Sheikha Abdulaziz Al Shamsi, director of Sajaya Young Ladies of Sharjah, said: “The importance of the Sharjah Government Women Champions Cup lies in making sport closer to the employee’s daily life through an organised experience that brings her together with her colleagues and motivates her to move and participate away from the routine of work. Initiatives of this kind encourage employees to adopt more active and healthy practices and reinforce the understanding that sport can be a lasting part of a lifestyle rather than an activity linked to a particular time or occasion.”

She added: “We are proud of Sajaya’s basketball team for winning the title in the previous two editions, but the value of the experience for us went beyond winning. It strengthened team spirit, created motivation to participate and compete, and demonstrated that sport can create different spaces for interaction between employees and organisations. From this perspective, we encourage female employees across Sharjah’s government entities to take part in the third edition, represent their organisations and use the event as an opportunity to discover the enjoyment of competition — and perhaps take a further step towards more sustained sporting participation.”

The third edition will conclude on 10 September with the crowning of winners in the three sports, following a day that brings together female employees from government entities in a competitive experience extending beyond results to foster interaction, team spirit and motivation to stay active.

Through the event, the cup continues to strengthen its role as a platform encouraging employees to explore different sporting experiences, while supporting the Sharjah Women’s Sports Foundation’s efforts to promote healthy practices and make physical activity a more visible and lasting part of everyday life and the workplace.