Everything starts with a dream. Then a goal.
Almost 20 years ago, Lina Almaeena had a dream to set up a basketball team under the name Jeddah United.
At the time, establishing a competitive female basketball team was not as easy as it is today, quite simply because in the past, the Kingdom had no basketball competitions for women to speak of.
But things have changed drastically in recent years.
Female sports and leagues are proliferating and only recently, saw many individuals and teams take part in the Saudi Games 2022, one of the country’s biggest-ever sporting events.
The tournament saw competitions in more than 45 sports, and one of them was women’s basketball.
It has been a long road to get to this point for Almaeena and her colleagues. “Jeddah United started around 20 years ago at a time when sports for girls was self-censored, when there was no legislation for sports clubs, no PE in school,” Almaeena said.
“Throughout the years, Jeddah United, under a commercial license, trained tens of thousands of women and young girls in team sports within private courts and fields. The women’s team traveled the world, from Malaysia to the US, to learn from playing friendly matches with other teams, as well as changing stereotypes of Saudi women in the media.”
“We tried as a sports community to recruit international experts living in the Kingdom,” she said. “We also hired female coaches and collaborated with international federations like the NBA and WNBA, with the aim of promoting the culture of sports, and especially team sports, in the Kingdom. We started a Khobar United branch and Riyadh United in 2011 as our vision was a united, energetic society.”
The years of hard work paid off. “We are so honored to have won first place in the historic Saudi Games’ basketball competition,” said the co-founder and chairperson of Jeddah United. “This honor comes from the fact that the main official sponsor of the Saudi Olympics was the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman.
“We are reaping the fruits of Vision 2030, increasing participation (in) physical activity and forming a healthier and happier society for everyone living on this land,” she said. “The Saudi Games opening had an energy, I felt like it was the energy of the crown prince whose bold reforms enabled us as women specifically to celebrate, participate and compete in nation-building in general, and sports on this occasion.”
Almaeena is grateful for the backing she has received from leading figures in the Kingdom. She highlighted the support of the Minister of Sport Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal; Prince Fahd bin Jalawi, the vice president of the Saudi Olympic Committee; Princess Delayel Nahar Al-Saud, advisor to the VP; and Adwa Al-Arifi, deputy minister for planning and development at the Ministry of Sport. She also thanked the presidents of all the sporting federations, as well as those who helped make her “wonderful dream come true.”
“Jeddah United was undefeated, the only private club among government-backed clubs,” she said of the Saudi Games experience. “That marked a successful example of privatization and how PPP will contribute to the reduction of cost and support the development of the national economy.
Almaeena also thanked and congratulated the athletes, coaches, administration, as well the team’s sponsors UBT, Haji Husein Alireza & Co., Mafasel Clinics and Layal Spa. She said others who made a difference were motivational speakers and doctors who took the time to talk to the team before the Games, which included Dr. Hala Mosli, Dr. Mohammad Hakeem and Dr. Hussar Alnajjar.
“Last but not least we owe this win to the families of all the athletes, who supported their loved ones throughout a very intense training period and competition with their physical, mental and emotional support,” Almaeena added. “I for sure owe it to my family and friends who really made me believe that we will win the gold. This occasion gave us a sense of increased strength and unity of the country with a number of athletes coming together from across Saudi to compete.”
“We look forward to next year’s new edition of the Saudi Games,” she said.
