Conference Theme & Panels

Moderator

Ola Fares

TV Journalist and Presenter Jordan

The Jordanian anchor, of Palestinian origin, Ola Al Faris began her media career at the age of 17 as a reporter for the Jordanian news channel "Al Arabia". After that, she joined the MBC channel as a news anchor and host of the social news program "MBC in Week". some of the programs that Ola hosted, The Evening news on the channel MBC 1, The MBC program " MBC in a Week" on Friday and Saturday, She also moderated & attended some Conferences such as, The Arab Media Forum in Dubai, The World Conference for People with Disabilities Qatar, A Forum for Inherited & Culture and Tunisia, A Forum to Protect Journalists in Jordan and The Arabic Modern Women Forum.

Speaker

Lt. Col. Dr Moza Al Shehhi

Board Member of FBMA for Women Sports & Head Of Scientific / Education Committee ICSW Abu Dhabi, UAE

Dr. Moza is the first specialized physician in health and sport medicine in the United Arab Emirates; She is the Head of Health and Medicine Wing for UAE Armed Forces. Also, she is a sports medicine advisor for national service Authority (Physical Readiness Centers). Dr. Moza has a MD (Doctor of Medicine) from the Arabian Gulf University, Bahrain; and an MD (Research Medical Doctorate) and a MSc in sports medicine and physical exercises from Queen Mary University, London. Dr. Moza is affiliated with several regional and international federations and associations.

Speaker

Her Excellency Dato Beng Choo Low

IOC Member International Cooperation Development Official, Malaysia

Low Beng Choo is an accomplished lawyer with a MSc in Information Technology from Staffordshire University, United Kingdom. As a former athlete, she represented Malaysia in netball and softball, and participated in various other sports. In sports administration, she serves as an elected Vice President of the Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) and has served on/chaired various OCM committees. She currently chairs the OCM Legal Advisory & Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee and Women & Sport Committee. She continues to serve as the Chair of the Special Technical Committee of the Malaysia Games, the largest multi-sports Games in Malaysia (since 2007).

Speaker

Marisol Casado

IOC Member, ITU President World Triathlon, Spain

Marisol Casado has a post graduate degree in Sport Administration and Management from Universidad Complutense de Madrid and Spanish Olympic Committee. She is the recipient of the Gold Medal Award "Royal Golden Insignia"; Olympic Order of Spanish NOC. She has been a member of the International Olympic Committee since 2010 during which she has been a part of several of its commissions including Women and Sport IOC Commission. She created the Spanish Triathlon Federation in 1989 and is a founding member of the International Triathlon Union. She has spearheaded several sporting bodies in her career.

Speaker

Kelly Holmes

Athlete, Double Gold Medalist, Athens Olympics, UK

Kelly Holmes began a successful career with the British Army at the age of 17. Since the age of 12, she had been training in athletics and after the 1992 Olympics she was inspired to start training full time for which she had to leave the army. Persistent injuries was always an obstacle on her way of success, but the build up to the Athens Olympic Games was the first year Kelly was injury free. She decided to double up in the 800m and 1500m and went on to win Gold medals in both events to be the first Double Gold Medalist at the games since 1920.

Moderator

Osama Al Amiri

Moderator, Anchor, Abu Dhabi Sports Channels, UAE

Osama Al Amiri is an Emirati presenter of programs for Abu Dhabi Sports channels. Osama began his journey with the media industry as an editor and photojournalist in "Al Za'aeem" and "Nadeena" magazines, before moving to Abu Dhabi Sports channels. Al Amiri has covered several local, regional and global sports events such as the 2012 Olympic Games in London, the Formula 1 Grand prix, Dubai World Cup, the English Premier League and several competitions all around the Gulf region and Asia. He is also a member of the Executive Office Sports Media Committee in the UAE.

Speaker

Muffy Davis

Paralympic Athlete, USA

Muffy Davis is a 7 time Paralympics Medalist, Ice Skate World Champion, Guinness World Record Holder, US Ski and SnowBoard Hall of Fame Member, ESPN ESPY nominee, World Adventurer and professional speaker. Paralyzed from a ski racing accident when she was just 16, Muffy has not let her disability slow her down or keep her from reaching her dreams. She dominated the London Paralympics Road Cycling events, winning 3 Gold medals, the most by any racer, male or female. That result earned her a Guinness World Record for the most gold medals won at a single Paralympics Games in Road Cycling. She has graduated from Stanford University and is a well-known motivational speaker and adventurer.

Speaker

Suhail Al Nashash

Paralympic Athlete, Jordan

Suhail Al Nashash is a Paralympics athlete from Amman. Al Nashash began losing his sight gradually at 13, when a doctor prescribed the wrong eye medication for a summer allergy. By the age of 18, he had become completely blind. He overcame his disability and trained hard in Amman under the supervision of the national Olympic committee. His first official competition was in Tunisia in 2005, where he won the bronze medal in Long Jump and came in fifth among 16 competitors in the 100-metre dash. He then competed in Malaysia in 2006, and again in Tunisia in 2008, and won a silver medal in the Amman Marathon last year.

Speaker

Thuraya Hamad Al Zaabi

Paralympic Athlete, UAE

Thuraya Al Zaabi is the first Emirati to participate in the Paralympics Games in Beijing in 2008 in the Javelin, Shot Put and Discus Throw. She had won medals not only in Asia but also in Holland, Germany and Czech Republic. She also participated on the world stage at London Olympics 2012, Beijing Olympics 2008, which has placed Thuraya on the Top of the Special Need Athletes in the field of Javelin, Shot Put and Discus Throw in Asia and the GCC. She won a silver medal at the World Games for the physically disabled and amputated and was nominated for the Mohammed Bin Rashid Creative Sports Award for her achievements in sports.

Moderator

Ali Al Ghofaily

Anchor, MBC

A graduate of the Faculty of Media, University of Imam Muhammad bin Saud, Ali Al Ghafli began his career with the magazine "Human" followed by the newspaper Al Riyad. He has worked with the Channel Economy for two years, on the program Economic Pages, as well as the preparation and editing of economic news. He then worked at the Channel "Now" before moving to MBC, where he anchors the News on MBC every night at nine o'clock KSA time. He also hosts the show MBC in Week, which raises important and sensitive issues such as social and humanitarian issues in the Saudi Kingdom, through discussions with Arab and International experts.

Speaker

Patrick Pierce

Sponsor Representative, Etihad Airways

Patrick Pierce serves as Vice President Sports Sponsorship for Etihad Airways, the National Airline of the United Arab Emirates. Pierce is responsible for the company’s strategic investments in sport, arts, entertainment, events, exhibitions and ambassadors. Pierce joined Etihad from Aon, the world’s leading provider of risk and HR solutions, where he acted as Director of Global Marketing & Communications. Before Aon, Pierce worked in sponsorship, promotions, public relations, media and advertising for Allstate Corporation, and as a senior consultant at IEG. He also worked at McDonald’s Corporation, where he activated global alliances with FIFA, UEFA and IOC. Pierce earned an MBA from University of Notre Dame and a bachelors degree from Indiana University. Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, has in just ten years established itself as the world’s leading airline. “Etihad” is the Arabic word for “union".

Speaker

Kolia Neveux

Sponsor Representative, Tag Heuer, France

The French, from Russian origins, Kolia Neveux has spent his life in multicultural environments, giving him today an insatiable curiosity on the world. Graduated from Sciences Politics and with a MBA from Graduate School of Economics and Business in France. Kolia started his career in the diamonds wholesale and trading industry for 10 years. Particularly attached to the UAE, Kolia has developed a passion for sports heritage and more precisely for falconry. Tag Heuer’s rich heritage is built on pushing boundaries and breaking rules. Long-lasting partnerships with sports teams and charismatic ambassadors drive it to break with watchmaking conventions, and, as a consequence, master time with unparalleled precision.

Moderator

Ali Al Ghofaily

Anchor, MBC

A graduate of the Faculty of Media, University of Imam Muhammad bin Saud, Ali Al Ghafli began his career with the magazine "Human" followed by the newspaper Al Riyad. He has worked with the Channel Economy for two years, on the program Economic Pages, as well as the preparation and editing of economic news. He then worked at the Channel "Now" before moving to MBC, where he anchors the News on MBC every night at nine o'clock KSA time. He also hosts the show MBC in Week, which raises important and sensitive issues such as social and humanitarian issues in the Saudi Kingdom, through discussions with Arab and International experts.

Speaker

Marta Viera Da Silva

Footballer, Brazil

Marta Vieira da Silva is a Brazilian football forward who plays for FC Rosengård of the Swedish Damallsvenskan. She is also a member of the Brazil women's national football team. Marta was named FIFA World Player of the Year five consecutive times between 2006 and 2010. She was part of the Brazilian teams that won the silver medal at the 2004 and 2008 Summer Olympics. She was also awarded the Golden Ball (MVP) at the 2004 FIFA U-19 Women's World Championship. In the 2007 Women's World Cup, she won both the Golden Ball award as the best player and the Golden Boot award as the top scorer. She also tops the all–time Women's World Cup goal - scorer list alongside with Birgit Prinz. She was named one of the Ambassadors of 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil.

Speaker

Rania Elwani

Athlete, Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Award for Woman Athletes Judge, Egypt

Dr. Rania Elwani, an Obstetrics and gynecology physician, is also a three-time Olympic swimmer - the first Arab woman to make the finals of the Olympic games. She was the Arab and African champion from 1991-2000, Mediterranean champion, 1997 and won many medals during the world cup swimming series. Her highest achievement was being ranked 5th and 7th in the world for short course pool. This is the highest an Arab woman has been ranked to date. In sports management, she was elected to the AHLY Club board of directors, and became an IOC member in 2004, where she represented the IOC Athletes in the medical commission, WADA Executive and Foundation boards.

Speaker

Dr. Mai Ahmed Sultan Al Jaber

Board Member, UAE Olympic Committee and FBMA, UAE

Dr. Mai Ahmed Sultan Al Jaber is an outstanding medical doctor who holds a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery from Al Ain University and a Masters Degree of Public Health and leadership from Bloomberg School of Public Health at JohnS Hopkins University. In her personal mission to be a leader of change for women and sports in the UAE, she is an active member of the board of directors of the Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Sports Academy and a board member of the Executive Office of the National Olympic Committee for the UAE.

Speaker

Joana Amorim Cortez Dos Santos

Tennis Player, Brazilian Olympic Committee, Brazil

Joana Amorim Cortez dos Santos is An ex Brazilian tennis player. She has won 7 singles and 26 doubles titles on the ITF tour in her career and has achieved a career best singles ranking of 204, while in doubles her highest ranking has been 115. Cortez reached the second round of the 2000 Summer Olympics in women's doubles, with Vanessa Menga. The pair also won gold at the 1999 Pan American Games. Cortez won gold in 2003, partnering Bruna Coloso, and bronze in 2007 with Teliana Pereira in Rio. She also represented Brazil in Grand Slam doubles, at the 2001 US Open and in 2002 in Australia.

Speaker

Tuuli Merikoski

Board Membe, National Olympic Committee of Finland and Metropolitan Sports Academy, Finland

Tuuli Merikoski is an internationally recognized expert on athletes’ career coaching and dual career development. She worked in the NOC of Finland for over ten years leading the elite sport school and the sport academy system. Currently she is in charge of athletes’ dual career development as Board Member of the NOC and of the Metropolitan Sport Academy. A former athlete, She holds the Finnish national record for 800m running (2.00,59) since 1991.

Moderator

Dr. Omniyat Mohammed Al Hajeri

Director of Public Health and Research Health Authority- Abu Dhabi, Board member of Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Sports Academy, and a Board member of AD Media Company. she Supervised the development and implementation of many community-based health programs for women. She also participated in several workshops and studies concerned with the results of physical exercise on the health of the individual, sport and proper food.

Speaker

Tansin Benn

International Association of PE and Sports for Girls and Women, Uk

Tansin Benn is currently a Visiting Professor at the University of Plymouth, England. She has been a teacher of physical education, coach and international judge in artistic gymnastics, lecturer and researcher in the field of sport. Her research and publications have focused on issues of diversity and inclusion, especially gender, culture and ethnicity, where intersecting axes of disadvantage can affect the lives of Muslim girls and women regarding participation in all aspects of physical activity. She has received five major international awards for her work in the field of gender and diversity.

Speaker

Amal Bu Shallakh

UAE Women Football Federation Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Award For Woman Athletes, UAE

Amal Bu Shallkh is a board member of the UAE Football Federation, deputy of the Women's Commission of the West Asian Football Federation, Secretary of the Abu Dhabi Sports Council’s Football Committee, Secretary of the Asian Judo Federation, member of the supreme committee of Zayed Charity Marathon, member of the organizing committee for the UAE Armed Forces Officers Club’s Olympic Games and director of women activities at the UAE Armed Forces Officers Club, in addition; she is the vice president of players transferring committee , the vice president of Social committee and member of the technical committee at the UAE football federation. Bu shallakh is a former member of the women committee of the Arab football federation. At the beginning of her career she was appointed as a board member in the UAE Judo, wrestling and Jujitsu federation , a board member in the school sports federation and a member of supreme committee of the international Grand slam Judo Championship. She received her highness Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Award for team development, and another award for Management from H.H Fatima Bint Mubarak Awards, she was also received the International Football Federation (FIFA) annual award for projects (live your Goals) for 4 years.

Speaker

Marion Bartolli

Former Wimbledon Champion (2013), France

Marion Bartoli is a former French professional tennis player and the 2013 Wimbledon Women’s Singles Champion. Marion has also won eight WTA singles titles and three doubles titles and achieved a career best ranking of World no. 7. Marions' success at Wimbledon was really the result of sheer determination, hard work, perseverance, faith and courage to overcome the injuries she sustained and finally triumph to realize her childhood dream. Today Marion enjoys life as an entrepreneur and manages her design brand called Marion Bartoli. She is involved in charity work with ELA to fight muscular dystrophy.

Speaker

Amna Al Haddad

Athlete, UAE

Amna Al Haddad is an Emirati Weightlifter aiming for the Olympics. She started the sport of weightlifting professionally late of 2012, with international competition experience in the USA and Europe. She is also the first Emirati and GCC to have competed in the Reebok Crossfit Asia Regional's in 2012. Also she is a motivational speaker, a coach and a former full-time Journalist for The National Newspaper.