Sports
and leisure time in the UAE in the past and present
Every country passes
through different stages throughout its history, and each one of these stages
is characterized by certain features related to the life of people, and the UAE
is one of the countries that have encountered significant changes through the
last four decades. The changes in the UAE have affected different aspects of
life in the country, and one of the fields that have witnessed remarkable
changes is that of sports and leisure time.
In the past people in
the country used to live a life that can be described as being tough and
lacking luxurious features, and that was
reflected in the ways that they used to practice sport and to spend leisure
time .When thinking about the changes in this area the best source of
information that can be reliable and trusted is a character that has lived the
two phases of the past and present, and I don’t find better than my eldest uncle,
as he has always been a man fond of sports.
When I asked him about
the sports in the UAE in the past, his eyes sparked and all of his facial
expressions changed to reflect pleasure and excitement. He started by saying
that sports in the UAE in the past were mere joy and pleasure as the ways that
people used to entertain themselves were very limited , and not as they are
today. He told me that they used to spend days in the desert practicing falconry,
and they knew very well how to train their falcons, so as to be very skilled
and good hunters. The training for the falcons was achieved through improving a
strong bond of trust between that wild bird and its handler, which is a very
important factor that ensures good hunting process. That time falconry was a
way to spend leisure time, a way to practice sport and also an away to provide
food .But today, matters are different and falconry becomes just a sport, but
no one can deny that the UAE falcons are still keeping their outstanding power,
skill and beauty. He added that falconry is an important feature of the
heritage of the country, so it can’t be lost.
When I asked him about
other sports in the country, he replied by talking about two other important
sports in the country, which are camel race and horse race. About camel racing,
he told me that in the past they used to depend on children to act as camel
jockeys because they enjoy light weight, so they don’t hinder the speed of the
camel, but today this job is done by certain devices, and he sees that this
issue has made the sport lose a significant part of its traditional nature.
In the end, my uncle
advised me to be keen on practicing our traditional sports as they are an
important part of our heritage and history that we should always keep.
