Manama, Bahrain, October 31, 2022: Top official of the Olympic Council of Asia, Mr. Husain Al Musallam, hailed the inaugural OCA Gender Equity Seminar as an outstanding success on Monday, October 31.
The OCA Director General who has been a keen observer at the two-day seminar in Manama attended by Secretary Generals and Board Members – mostly women - from 42 Asian National Olympic Committees was full of praise for the ground-breaking initiative calling it a tool towards creating a safer society.
“As you know sports is a mirror of what happens in society. If we have correct sports, then in return we will have a safer society,” Mr. Al Musallam noted.
The senior OCA official who is also the President of FINA – the world governing body for swimming - also believed that the seminar would spark increased participation by women in sport in the region.
“We need Asia following all the international standards in sport, and especially to increase the participation of women in sports as well as have more female officials, coaches and referees,” Mr Al Musallam said.
The second and final day of the seminar focused mainly on creating a grassroots strategy so as to enhance gender equity in sports.
“We are very happy to see 42 NOCs here and it has been a fruitful discussion. We have also learned from the input from the International Olympic Committee, the UN, UNESCO and the Red Cross, on how to engage women and girls in day-to-day activities. This has been a positive outcome,” Mr. Al Musallam added.
