• Home
• /
• UAE
• /
• Sports

UAE needs to focus on youth sports participation, create role models: Michael Johnson

Former Olympic and world champion speaks at the ninth International Society for Physical Activity and Health Congress in Abu Dhabi

Finding and nurturing young talents, and giving them international exposure will ultimately result in the birth of a UAE champion, who will become a role model for generations to follow, a sports icon has said.

At the ninth International Society for Physical Activity and Health (ISPAH) Congress in Abu Dhabi, sprinter and Olympic and world champion Michael Johnson underlined the need for developing a culture of fitness and love for sports among children.

“The challenges that are facing this region are unique because of the climate, because there hasn’t been a real culture of youth sports participation. If you have a long history of youth sports participation, ultimately some of those become icons in sports, and professionals, and they become the role models who inspire the next generation. Without having had that as well, it’s a unique challenge. So, there is no sort of silver bullet as such that will sort of, even from an Olympics champion, there is not one answer to fix it,” Johnson told reporters.

The ninth edition of the congress, which is being hosted in the Middle East for the first time, is being organised by Abu Dhabi Public Health Centre (ADPHC) with a wide range of activities, which include football matches, yoga, Zumba classes, and initiatives like the ‘One Billion Steps’ challenge that was launched last month.

“It takes conferences like this, a lot of initiatives that are taking place right now, a lot of studies being presented out there to tackle this problem. It takes a commitment to solving the problem and recognition of unique challenges this region faces,” said the winner of four Olympic gold medals and eight world gold medals.

Kudos, Abu Dhabi

The congress, under the theme of ‘Making Every Move Count’, brings academics, practitioners, thought leaders and policy makers to discuss collaborative ways to promote the adoption of physical activity.,

Lauding Abu Dhabi’s intent to host the in-person event, Johnson said: “Obviously, hosting the event itself shows that there is a great interest in community health here, great interest in trying to foster an active lifestyle among the citizens here. Kudos to Abu Dhabi for hosting the event.”

Johnson pointed out that he used to take part in sprints as a child because he was enjoying it with his friends, and that fun element is missing in today’s generation, which remains glued to smartphones and video games.

Johnson underlined that school and college athletics is a major sports platform in the US, but such a structure was missing in the UAE.

ALSO READ:

• UAE President Sheikh Mohamed shares Diwali wishes in Hindi

• No photography allowed: Abu Dhabi Police announce exercise, issue advisory to residents

• Abu Dhabi's new attraction that would allow visitors travel on 14-billion-year journey through time and space is 25% complete

“The allure of being able to move to the next level. That’s the unique atmosphere in America where there are levels, you continue to go to the next level. I was focused on getting to the next level. That’s the unique situation in the US, but other places in the world, the UAE will be one, where you don’t have university athletics, for example, which is huge in America but doesn’t exist here. So, that’s why it’s important here to recognise that it’s a different situation.”

Johnson is the only male athlete to win both the 200m and 400m events at the same Olympics in the 1996 Games in Atlanta and the only man to successfully defend his Olympic title in the 400m in Sydney four years later. Asked what it will take to create UAE’s own global superstar, he said: “First and most important thing is to have patience. You are not going to have a star tomorrow, if you start today. It’s a very long-term process, of creating youth sports infrastructure to identify talent early and then having a talent development or a pathway programme to be able to nurture that talent to a point where those athletes that have been identified are able to compete at the international level. You have to keep developing and nurturing that talent and ultimately just because of the numbers, someone breaks through and becomes a champion, but it takes time.”

He noted that incorporating physical activities into the school system, and into the community where there is easy access, will help make it a part of lifestyle.

“I am no longer an athlete, but I am still committed to having an active lifestyle because I realise how important it is to the rest of my life. Being able to demonstrate that to young people, I think, is important.”