Another accolade for Sheikha Latifa Al Maktoum

Sheikha Latifa was on Sunday named as a goodwill ambassador of the 2014 Incheon Asian Games in South Korea, writes Ahmed Rizvi. Here's why:

Past success

Riding Kalaska De Semily, Sheikha Latifa won two silver medals at the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games in the equestrian jumping individual and team events.

Inspiration

Sheikha Latifa, who also took a bronze at the 2006 Asian Games in Qatar and qualified for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, is hoping her appointment will inspire Emirati athletes to seek qualification for the 2014 Games. “I hope that in my role as goodwill ambassador I will inspire athletes from all over the UAE to come together and represent our nation at the greatest festival of sport in Asia,” she said.

Spreading the word

The 17th Asian Games will be held in the South Korean port city of Incheon from September 19 to October 4, and the organising committee have embarked on a roadshow around six countries to promote the Games. The UAE is one of those six destinations, along with Uzbekistan, India, Singapore, Vietnam and China.

Giving support

“It is a great pleasure to be selected as a destination for the 2014 Asian Games roadshow,” said Yousuf Al Serkal, first vice president of the UAE National Olympic Committee. “We will continue to provide unsparing support to help the 2014 Incheon Games.”

Donation

The organising committee also made a donation to the UAE Youth Sports Development Programme. “Since 2007, we have been providing support and training opportunities to 17 countries like Afghanistan and Cambodia as part of our Vision 2014 programme,” said Song Young-gil, the chairman of the Incheon Asian Games organising committee’s executive board.

Diversity

Song believes the Games will celebrate the diversity of Asia. “Together we can make the Asian Games an international sporting festival of harmony and peace, providing a great opportunity to share their history, culture and religion,” he said.