KUWAIT CITY, Jan 30, (KUNA): Sports is a topic that is not being mentioned whatsoever by candidates for the Kuwaiti parliament, despite the many problems and difficulties facing local clubs and teams of all sports on the international scale.
Kuwaiti sports journalists testified to the fact in interviews with KUNA. Sports play a major part in the development of the society, in service of the nation and in encouraging the principles of cooperation, friendship and honorable competition.
Despite this, sports in Kuwait have taken a nose-dive, with the country being sanctioned many times internationally and regionally due to the inadequacy of sports facilities and legislation.
Al-Watan newspaper sports editor, Salah Haidar says developed nations look to sports as an investment in the youth making it a priority through support and funding like its equivalents of health, education and other dynamic sectors.
In Kuwait, on the other hand, sports are viewed as something youngsters do to “waste time”, and that it should not be placed as a priority. “This is evident in the government’s lack of enthusiasm on the needs of the sports’ sector and the National Assembly’s reluctance to discuss the sports issue, despite Kuwaitis’ well-known affiliation to it. Sports, in the country, are being used for personal gains, which is having a negative impact on its performance,” he noted.
For his part, Al-Rai editor, Hussain Al-Mutairi, said he was angered the issue was not on the lips of candidates.
Sports are being looked at as a hobby and its role on the political, economic, social and development scales are being overlooked, he stressed.
What is needed is a solid sports foundation, including more clubs, construction and the revival of the former schools sports initiative, which resulted in many international accomplishments for Kuwait in the 1980s.
World Cup
Next door, Qatar is set to host football’s World Cup in 2022, and this will provide it with huge economic benefits, he added. For his part, Sattam Al-Sehali underlined the need to place sports on the list of long-term development strategies, Kuwait has drawn up.
This will do much to develop human resources, particularly youth, who will build the nation tomorrow, he said.
Meanwhile, the Information Ministry on Monday announced holding a press conference for local and international observer teams assigned on following-up on upcoming parliamentary elections.
In statements to KUNA, Youssef Mustafa, the ministry’s assistant undersecretary for news and political programs’ affairs, said the conference is set for Wednesday at 10:30 am at the Sheraton Hotel, adding that three civil society organizations will take part, for the first time, in monitoring the electoral process in Kuwait.
He noted that the participating organizations are Kuwait Transparency Society (KTS), Kuwait Lawyers Association (KLA) and Kuwait Journalists Association (KJA), as well as several other Arab and foreign societies specialized in elections’ monitoring.
They would be following the pace of the 2012 elections and making their observation on integrity and transparency of the electoral process in Kuwait in accordance with its democracy, explained Mustafa.
Moreover, Mustafa noted that the conference will be live on-air via Channel One of Kuwait Television.