Women’s sport now about winning, not participation, says Saudi fencer

LONDON: The goal for women’s sport in Saudi Arabia is no longer about taking part on a global scale but winning medals and titles, Saudi fencer Lama Al-Fozan told Arab News on Thursday.

Al-Fozan, who is also vice president of the Saudi Athletes’ Committee, was a guest at the WiMENA Women in Sport conference at Chelsea FC in London and one of many voices extolling the progress being made in the Kingdom and the wider Middle East region.

She said the blueprint for development of women’s sport participation in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East and North Africa region worked as an example for the rest of the world to follow, a common theme at the conference.

These were “exciting times” for the Kingdom, she said, explaining that when she started fencing as a teenager there were only 200 registered Saudi female athletes. By 2024 the number had increased to 7,000, mirrored by a three-fold increase in women’s sporting federations and clubs from 32 to 97 in under a decade.

Al-Fozan said women now also held training and coaching roles, worked in sports management and sat on sporting institutions’ boards. She highlighted how the Kingdom’s sports authorities had focused on increasing the number of activities open to female participation.

However, she added the focus had now moved on from encouraging women and girls to play sports to creating conditions where talent could be developed to ensure success.

Al-Fozan said that while Saudi athletes might not dominate at the Paris Olympics this summer, people could see for themselves the progress made at events in years to come.

“The goal is no longer just to participate in competitions such as the Olympics, but to actually win medals — this is one of the pillars of the (Saudi) national sport strategy. We are very optimistic and we are excited about it, the future is bright,” she said.

The fencer told Arab News that the progress and potential of women’s sport development in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East was often underestimated, especially in the West.

“I feel we faced criticism in the past because we weren't doing enough and then when we started to develop, we still faced criticism,” she said.

“We really aren't doing this for other people, or to market ourselves, we are doing this for our nation and for our own development. As a Saudi, as an athlete, and as a female, I'm really proud of that.”