KUWAIT: Minister of Information and Culture and Minister of State for Youth Affairs Abdulrahman Al-Mutairi (second from left) speaks during a meeting to discuss efforts to improve the sports sector in Kuwait. - KUNA photos

KUWAIT: Kuwait's top lawmaker said yesterday that the local sports scene needs "tangible and practical" action on the ground to take off, subsequently boding well for his compatriot athletes. "We need to transform plans and suggestions into palpable realities," National Assembly Speaker Marzouq Al-Ghanem said amid parliament-hosted talks over efforts to propel the Kuwaiti sports sector to greater levels, in which a bevy of athletes were in attendance.

National Assembly Speaker Marzouq Al-Ghanem speaks during the conference.

Countries with vibrant sports scenes often rely on "meticulous plans" to keep the sector afloat, added the chief lawmaker, saying that similar procedures would "save Kuwait's sports sector". He went on to express confidence in the abilities of athletes and sports officials, whom he said were more than capable of transforming the industry.

Meanwhile, Minister of Information and Culture and Minister of State for Youth Affairs Abdulrahman Al-Mutairi affirmed keenness to upgrading the sports sector in accordance with a clear strategy to develop Kuwaiti sports and create an environment that helps young athletes face global challenges.

Speaking during the conference, the minister indicated that achieving this kind of development requires collective efforts of the Public Authority for Sports and the National Assembly. He explained that a "legislative environment" is required to enable athletes, while noting at the same time that the authority prepares to launch a sports strategy soon after hosting several meetings recently, including meetings with international sports institutions. Minister Mutairi further pointed out that efforts to adopt the professional sports system in Kuwait are "progressing steadily", without giving a timeline for when the transition could be completed.

Director-General of the Public Authority for Sports Hmoud Flaiteh spoke in the meantime about developing "Kuwait's competitive sports industry", noting that there are plans to reduce the number of games played in sports clubs to six: football, basketball, handball, volleyball, athletics and swimming. Meanwhile, individual games under the plan can be practiced in private clubs established for this purpose "following the success of this experiment in Kuwait," he added.

Kuwait Olympic Committee President Sheikh Fahad Nasser Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah attends the conference.

Kuwait Olympic Committee President Sheikh Fahad Nasser Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah spoke during the conference on the committee's role in "developing the Olympic movement in Kuwait in accordance with the Olympic Charter". He added on the other hand that the committee is currently "unable to support clubs and federations" in terms of providing them with necessary facilities due to lack of budget. - KUNA