RIYADH: The Saudi Sports For All Federation and Premier League club Newcastle United have teamed up to launch a sports program aimed at 35-50-year-olds in Saudi Arabia, it was announced Wednesday.
SFA and the Newcastle United Foundation, an independent charity operated by the club, will work together to provide the Kingdom’s older population, both citizens and residents, access to world-class, age-appropriate sporting amenities, resources, and experiences to get involved with sport.
The partnership comes under the leadership of the Ministry of Sports and its goals of attracting specialized international programs within the framework of community sports, in addition to supporting the Quality of Life program, an SFA statement said.
Set to be executed in three phases, the first and second stage of the program have been completed and established successfully. The first phase being focused on training 10 Saudi master trainers in Newcastle, and the second phase being focused and aimed at training 225 executive coaches in the Kingdom.
The third phase is set to focus on attracting 3,000 registrants who will then be empowered and equipped with the tools to lead healthy, active lives.
“Saudi Arabia continues to make strides towards becoming a global economic hub and bolstering its thriving society,” Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed bin Talal, SFA president said. “Our goal is to serve the country, priming it for long-term success, SFA aims to play a key role in Saudi’s aims in the sports and wellness arenas, enhancing its athletics culture and infrastructure.
“We believe this is vital to the development of a healthy, productive, and diverse community of citizens and residents united by an active, sustainable outlook.”
He continued: “As part of this work, it is decidedly important that every member of society — regardless of age, gender, ability, or background — is provided equal access to quality and edifying experiences, resources, and amenities. Our partnership with the Newcastle United Foundation has been launched to help us accomplish this goal, ensuring older adults across the country can also participate in sports and physical activities.”
The Newcastle United Foundation hosted a training session on October 10 to 14 with ten coaches, male and female, who attended the session as part of the first phase of SFA’s integrated sports program.
Meanwhile, the second phase of training involved 225 local coaches and professionals were enrolled on educational programs in three cities across the Kingdom.
The third stage will lead to the implementation of three major programs over the course of four months, with these being delivered in three regions: Jeddah, Saihat, and Al-Qassim.
A recreational football practice program — an initiative created to inspire adults aged 35 -50 to continue playing football or pick up the sport as a hobby — will also be implemented as part of the phase.
A walking football program, which was created with over-50s in mind, will also be implemented.
In line with Vision 2030 and Quality of Life program objectives, SFA’s strategic partnership with the Newcastle United Foundation will help to raise physical activity levels in the Kingdom, empowering more people to lead healthy, active lives.