Sports experts have confirmed that academies and private clubs have become a cornerstone of sports activity and are capable of producing Olympic champions in various sports. They can also help official clubs and sports federations achieve the highest goals of Emirati sports. However, their success depends on clear legislation, advanced infrastructure, and sustainable funding that ensures the continuity of their training and development programs. Additionally, it is crucial to establish a culture of professionalism and discipline and to use the latest technologies to monitor performance and analyze the physical and technical skills of athletes. Experts believe that creating a champion begins with long-term training plans based on discipline and professionalism, and relies on modern technologies to track performance and analyze abilities. They stated that academies cannot operate in isolation from sports federations, as they complement their role, emphasizing the importance of integrating efforts among various stakeholders and uniting the community and sports families to create a stimulating environment that enables talents to develop and transform into champions capable of raising the UAE flag at Olympic and international arenas. The Sports Director of the Future Academy for Swimming in Ajman, Ali Diab, confirmed that sports academies have become capable of transforming into leading projects in producing Olympic champions, or at least putting them on the right path towards this goal. Diab stated that the academies in the UAE possess the qualifications required to achieve the desired results, provided there is financial support and suitable infrastructure. He added that the success of academies hinges on the existence of clear legislation issued by the highest sports authorities and operating under their umbrella, with their involvement in some decision-making circles, especially regarding financial support and facilitating access to infrastructure. He explained that on the ground, work has already resulted in the discovery of a number of talented players, and their technical and physical skills are currently being developed, along with providing them with psychological support through individual programs and plans designed for each player. However, the lack of cooperation with sports federations hinders the progression of these talents to the professional stage. He continued, 'There is an exaggeration in the regulations of many federations regarding dealing with academies, especially in financial matters, and the lack of necessary support and services for talented players, which would enable them to continue their ambitions to be an effective part of the future of Olympic and world sports in the UAE.' He concluded, 'There are many academies working based on serious technical and development plans, contributing to raising the sports level, especially at the junior stages, and developing these elements after that stage falls primarily on the sports federations.' The Technical Director of the 'King Wolf Martial Arts Academy' in Ras Al Khaimah, Waleed Mohamed Najib, said that discovering sports talents capable of becoming Olympic champions requires a clear vision and well-studied long-term investment. He added that one of the main challenges facing academies is instilling a culture of sustainability in training from early stages to advanced levels, and this aspect specifically forms the cornerstone in building a player capable of competing globally. He pointed out that the financial costs of producing champions are not as high as rumored, as much as they require long-term commitment, discipline, and a professional system based on clear scientific principles that ensure the continuous technical and physical development of players. He clarified that one of the real challenges facing sports academies is the lack of stable financial support from the entities responsible for supervising the sports sector, which limits their ability to prepare and implement sustainable professional plans to produce Olympic champions. He continued, 'The challenges are not limited to the financial aspect; they extend to the lack of facilities for providing lands designated for sports investment and benefiting from the unused sports halls in some schools, despite their technical readiness, which contributes to expanding the base for sports practice and discovering talents.' Najib stressed the necessity of using modern technology in the work of academies after it has become an essential element in the process of selecting distinguished players and developing them. He explained that reliance on artificial intelligence, digital measurement programs, and devices for analyzing movement and physical performance have become globally recognized pillars in discovering and developing talents. In turn, Iraqi athletics expert and former Al Ahli youth coach and current Al Emirates club coach, Hadi Al Kaabi, emphasized that sports academies can play an active role in discovering and developing talents up to producing Olympic champions in various individual sports, including athletics. He said that academies can achieve success when there are strong partnerships with clubs and close cooperation with sports federations, which allows them to participate in competitions, provide national teams with talents, and receive both moral and material support. He added that the success of academies requires the existence of legislation that regulates their work, including obliging the player to affiliate with the academy or club to ensure the rights of all parties, and achieving tangible results within a specified period to produce champions. He pointed out that clubs like Al Ahli and Al Emirates have proven their ability to produce champions through projects organized technically and popularly, but they often face challenges related to administrative stability, whereas academies usually enjoy administrative stability. He clarified that commercial academies can succeed if they have real talents, provided that federations support them organizationally and technically, along with financial support when needed. Al Kaabi proposed the establishment of specialized government clubs that have the financial capacity to produce champions in various sports according to the global strategies in this regard. He said, 'Providing such type of clubs can work in parallel with the academy, clubs, and federations, creating strong competition and contributing to developing and polishing talents to be ready to achieve results at the international or Olympic level.' Member of the Judo Federation's Board of Directors and Head of the Clubs and Academies Department, Isa Musa bin Howaiden, believes that sports academies can play an important role in producing Olympic champions in individual sports, such as judo, as they represent a qualitative addition and a complement to the role of sports federations, but they cannot achieve this goal on their own without follow-up, support, and encouragement from the sports family, along with community support that unites around achieving common goals. Bin Howaiden said that his field observations indicate that many academies are on the right path and work based on good foundations, as evidenced by their regular participation in championships supervised or organized by the Judo Federation, at the local or international level, which is a positive indicator of the development of the role of academies. He added, 'There is a positive and continuous contact between the Judo Federation and a number of academies to enhance joint cooperation in the coming period, without forgetting that the work of many academies carries a commercial character, which is legitimate and natural in light of their lack of a stable official income.' He pointed out that academies reinvest the financial returns in developing their infrastructure and technical programs, which contributes to achieving the goals related to discovering talents and producing future champions, and we are confident that many academies can achieve tangible results in the coming years.
