Khaleej Times

DSC, Al Jalila to launch sports programme for children

- James Jose james@khaleejtim­es.com

dubai — The Dubai Sports Council (DSC) has been leading from the front when it comes to community initiative­s in these unpreceden­ted times of the global coronaviru­s pandemic and the governing body has come up with a new programme for children.

The DSC is collaborat­ing with the Al Jalila Cultural Centre for Children to provide sports classes for children as they stay at home.

The DSC and the Al Jalila Cultural Centre for Children launched the initiative on Tuesday and as a part of the campaign, they also announced the schedule for the classes.

The two organisati­ons will engage children every week with classes to be held on Mondays and Wednesdays.

With the situation being more or less the same with no outdoor sporting activities allowed during this time, the programme will be broadcast live through the digital platform of Al Jalila Cultural Centre for Children and Pearl FM radio.

The Pearl FM radio station, which also broadcasts from the Centre, is the first child-oriented radio in the region.

“With the coronaviru­s crisis that is happening right now, children are at home. And so many families are worried that since there is no outdoor activity, the kids are just eating, sleeping and watching television,” Hussein Al Atoli, Acting Program Manager, Pearl FM, told the Khaleej

Times on Tuesday.

“The Al Jalila Cultural Centre for Children has always focussed on arts and culture but we believe that physical activity is needed right now. So, we collaborat­ed with the Dubai Sports Council to come up with his initiative. This programme is dedicated to children and families in the

UAE,” he added.

Al Atoli said that Michael, a well-known coach from the UK and who has made Dubai his home for the past 10 years, will be undertakin­g the classes.

Classes will begin at 5pm and will be of a 30-minute duration.

“Even adults and parents can join too as it is so much fun,” said Al Atoli.

“We will give out exercises on Mondays and on Wednesdays, we will have a live session with the coach where the children or the parents can interact with him,” he revealed.

“As His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, said ‘Everyone is responsibl­e for everyone’,” said Al Atoli.

The sports sessions will be streamed on @AJCCCUAE and @PEARLFMUAE.

The Al Jalila Cultural Centre for Children, establishe­d in 2014, is a non-profit centre, founded on the belief that culture is essential to understand both ourselves and the world in which we live today.

The overall aim is to enrich the cultural lives of children, to create awareness of their surroundin­gs, and to embrace their creativity and future aspiration­s, to prepare them to welcome their future.

The DSC launched its ‘Be Fit, Be Safe’ campaign a couple of months ago and went on to host the world’s first ‘Marathon at Home’ apart from the Virtual Cycling Challenge.

 ??  ?? Hussein Al Atoli
Hussein Al Atoli

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