Latest news with #RoudaAlSerkal
Sharjah 24
6 days ago
- Sport
- Sharjah 24
UAE President: Sports key to national development
Sports as a cornerstone of national vision Honouring chess grandmaster Rouda Al Serkal These remarks came during a reception at Qasr Al Bahr in Abu Dhabi, where His Highness met with Rouda Essa Al Serkal, a member of the UAE national chess team and Abu Dhabi Chess Club & Mind Games. The meeting celebrated her recent victory at the Arab Chess Championship, where she earned the title of Grandmaster—becoming the first Emirati woman to do so—and qualified for the Chess World Cup finals. Presidential praise and encouragement His Highness congratulated Rouda Al Serkal on her historic achievement, calling it a valuable addition to the UAE's growing list of accomplishments in chess. He wished her continued success in the World Cup and commended her determination and perseverance from a young age. Rouda Al Serkal's appreciation Rouda Al Serkal expressed her joy at meeting His Highness and her gratitude for the support and encouragement she has received throughout her journey. She underscored that this backing has been pivotal to her success and said she is proud to represent Emirati women as the first to earn the Grandmaster title—an outcome she attributed to the leadership's ongoing efforts to empower women in all fields.
Zawya
7 days ago
- Sport
- Zawya
UAE President: Supporting sports sector key pillar of nation's development vision
UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has reaffirmed the country's commitment to supporting young Emirati sporting talents, developing their skills and capabilities, and harnessing all available resources to empower them to achieve sporting excellence at regional and international levels. His Highness noted that advancing the sports sector is a central component of the UAE's broader development vision, both now and in the future. His Highness made these remarks during a reception at Qasr Al Bahr in Abu Dhabi, where he met with Rouda Essa Al Serkal, a member of the UAE national chess team and Abu Dhabi Chess Club & Mind Games. The meeting marked her recent triumph at the Arab Chess Championship, where she secured the title of Grandmaster – the first Emirati woman to earn this prestigious international designation – and her qualification for the Chess World Cup finals. His Highness the President congratulated Rouda Al Serkal on this remarkable achievement, describing it as a valuable addition to the UAE's record of accomplishments in chess. He wished her continued success in her upcoming participation in the World Cup and praised the determination and perseverance she has demonstrated since an early age. For her part, Rouda Al Serkal expressed her joy at meeting His Highness and conveyed her gratitude for the support and encouragement she has received. She highlighted the significant role this backing has played in her journey, adding that she is proud to be the first Emirati woman to earn the title of Grandmaster, a milestone that reflects the leadership's vision to empower Emirati women and enable them to realise their ambitions across all fields.
Al Etihad
7 days ago
- Sport
- Al Etihad
UAE President: Supporting sports sector key pillar of nation's development vision
16 June 2025 14:28 ABU DHABI (WAM)UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has reaffirmed the country's commitment to supporting young Emirati sporting talents, developing their skills and capabilities, and harnessing all available resources to empower them to achieve sporting excellence at regional and international Highness noted that advancing the sports sector is a central component of the UAE's broader development vision, both now and in the Highness made these remarks during a reception at Qasr Al Bahr in Abu Dhabi, where he met with Rouda Essa Al Serkal, a member of the UAE national chess team and Abu Dhabi Chess Club & Mind meeting marked her recent triumph at the Arab Chess Championship, where she secured the title of Grandmaster – the first Emirati woman to earn this prestigious international designation – and her qualification for the Chess World Cup Highness the President congratulated Rouda Al Serkal on this remarkable achievement, describing it as a valuable addition to the UAE's record of accomplishments in chess. His Highness wished her continued success in her upcoming participation in the World Cup and praised the determination and perseverance she has demonstrated since an early her part, Rouda Al Serkal expressed her joy at meeting His Highness and conveyed her gratitude for the support and encouragement she has highlighted the significant role this backing has played in her journey, adding that she is proud to be the first Emirati woman to earn the title of Grandmaster, a milestone that reflects the leadership's vision to empower Emirati women and enable them to realise their ambitions across all fields.
Dubai Eye
02-06-2025
- Sport
- Dubai Eye
UAE's Al Serkal finishes strong in Norway Chess Open debut
UAE's rising chess star, Rouda Al Serkal, closed her debut at the Norway Chess Open's grandmaster category with three wins, finishing with 4 points from nine rounds. The 15-year-old showed resilience after a difficult start, bouncing back from early losses to defeat Norway's Sigur H. Myny, Italy's Mauro Pivi, and France's Franck Gouanelle in her final three games. 'It was tough to start like that and then mentally recover,' Rouda said of her opening-round loss to Swedish Grand Master Platon Galperin. 'But I knew I had to regroup quickly.' Her early rounds included two draws and four defeats, including a loss to Spain's Lucia Follana Albelda after a strong start with the Caro-Kann. Despite the setbacks, she made her way to victory. 'Eventually I just found my footing,' she said. 'I stopped overthinking, trusted my training and things began to click.' Fresh off a strong campaign at the Asian Individual Women's Championship in Al Ain and a productive training block, Al Serkal entered the tournament with confidence. As the first Emirati woman to compete in the GM category at the event, her performance marks a milestone for UAE chess. 'Ending with three wins felt really special,' Rouda said. 'I'm leaving stronger than I arrived, even if I could have done better.'
Khaleej Times
02-06-2025
- General
- Khaleej Times
UAE's Rouda AlSerkal scores a hat trick at Norway Chess Open
Rouda AlSerkal may have suffered a few heartbreaking defeats, but the 15-year-old UAE chess prodigy bounced back with exhilarating performances to finish her maiden Norway Chess Open campaign in style at Stavanger. The first Woman Grandmaster from the UAE, Rouda showed maturity that belied her young age, ending the tournament with a hat trick of wins after losing her first game to Swedish Grandmaster Platon Galperin. In one of the most challenging events, the teenager suffered three more losses and managed two draws in the next rounds before finding her feet as she finished the event with a flourish. A former world youth champion, Rouda registered her first win of the tournament against Sigur H. Myny of Norway before winning back-to-back games against Mauro Pivi of Italy and France's Franck Gouanelle. Three wins, two draws and four losses may not sound like a great tournament for an experienced campaigner. But for Rouda, an emerging talent, this was an experience that would help her add more weapons to her game. 'It was a learning experience more than anything else,' Rouda said. 'And I'm proud I stayed with it. Ending with three wins felt really special – I feel like I'm still leaving stronger than I arrived although I could have done much better.' Kjell Madland, Tournament founder, showered Rouda with high praise for her courageous performance. 'It is exactly the kind of story that reinforces Norway Chess as a truly global platform,' Madland said. 'To have young talents like Rouda travel all the way from the UAE to compete at this level adds richness and reach to what we're building here in Stavanger.'
