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Riyadh: Sport in ����ֱ�� is undergoing a renaissance, as a result of which we are at the dawn of a golden age for sport in the Kingdom, according to Rasha Al-Khamis, vice president of the ����ֱ��n Boxing Federation.��

Al-Khamis, who is also a board member of the Asian Boxing Federation and a strategic consultant for global consultancy Ernst & Young on Saudi Vision 2030’s quality of life initiatives, was speaking during an interview with Arab News podcast The Mayman Show.��

“I mainly focus on the media and entertainment sector,” she told host Hussam Al-Mayman. “Under the media and entertainment sector there is sports, culture and the arts, entertainment and tourism. We do transformation projects for the government in line with Vision 2030.”��

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Vision 2030 is ����ֱ��’s project to develop and diversify the national economy. Many of the projects in the sectors she mentioned revolve around strategy, governance, operating models and strategy, said Al-Khamis.��

“This is mainly what I’m doing with Ernst & Young but … my part-time thing is the Boxing Federation,” she added. “I’m a vice president of the Saudi Boxing Federation, and a member of the board of directors of the Asian Boxing Federation, and I spearhead the women’s committee.”��

The women’s committee operates under the auspices of the Arab Boxing Federation.��

“Almost since 1980, they’ve had the Arab Boxing Federation and recently they’ve established the new women’s committee,” said Al-Khamis. “This includes 21 Arab countries and this year we’re planning to host the first boxing competition for Arab women, in ����ֱ��.”��

In the past few years the Kingdom has increasingly played host to a wide range of top international sporting events, and Al-Khamis praised this development and the effects it is having on the country.��

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“I think these big events do have a major impact on the (sports) ecosystem and boxing,” she said. “And … I believe that with the direction of Vision 2030 — and with the leadership support (from) King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and the minister of sports, Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki — they’ve been doing a major uplift when it comes to the sports ecosystem.”��

The sports scene is undergoing a very strategic overhaul in order that it might flourish, said Al-Khamis.��

“There are plenty of levers that have been supporting not only boxing but all the other 96 federations,” she added. “If you take a look at the ����ֱ��n Olympic Committee, at this stage they’ve been supporting all 97 federations.”��

The strategy to support sport in ����ֱ�� is a critical one, she added.��

“They’re actually looking at two angles: the operational level and the strategy level,” said Al-Khamis. “And then (there is) the High-Performance Athletes Institute. They’re actually attracting really great, elite athletes, to start supporting them and honing their skills.”��

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