The First World Police Sport and Security Conference (WPSSC) was opened the 23rd of March under the patronage of HH the Amir Sheik Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, who was represented by Deputy Premier and Interior Minister Sheikh Mohammed Al-Khalid Al-Sabah. Who pointed to the importance of the conference towards strengthening sports security as one of the important pillars of the comprehensive security package of all types, besides its role in securing and protecting sports competitions. Sheikh Mohammad said sports security has a major role in securing events, maintaining order and confronting violence and hooliganism in sports arenas, which allows athletes and the crowd to enjoy sports in a comfortable atmosphere.
He said importance of the conference is reflected in the topics of its sessions which allows those present to know the recent administrative directions in running sports facilities and the legislative and legal frameworks of sports security as well as challenges, obstacles, crimes, crises, violence, and fighting doping with all it causes in the form of destructive psychological effects on the society. Sheikh Mohammad said the conference will discuss the role of sports media in addition to social media in educating all sports elements which will serve sports security, and their relation with physical sports. He said the conference will give participants experiences and skills trough discussions of successful experiences of local and international police systems, and the way they react with sports events to strengthen sports security. President of the USIP Lt .Gen Sheikh Ahmad AL-Nawaf welcomed delegations and hoped the conference reaches important recommendations that benefit sports and athletes in general and police sports in particular.
He welcomed the delegations in Kuwait to contribute to spreading the culture of police sports which agree with the interests of the USIP in the sports security issue and its behavioural and security dimensions as violence in arenas is on of the increase during international sport tournaments and event, which negatively affects athletes and sports fans, and causes huge concerns for security systems. Sheikh Ahmad said Kuwait’s organization of this conference aims at confronting all forms of violence in sports areas, and achieve the biggest possible amount of security and safety for sports fans. He says international police sports activities are considered a common global language among people of all races and ethnicities.
Meanwhile, Information Minister and State Minister for Youth Affairs Sheikh Salman Al- Hmoud Al-Sabah said this conference is unique around the world by dealing with sports security, and the importance of security organization, as well as spreading the culture of anti-extremism in the presence of an elite group of specialist around the world. He said the conference supports Kuwait’s status in all fields, especially sports and international police sports. President of the Arab and Qatar police unions lauded the conference’s adoption of violence issues, adding that there should be recommendations to fight this phenomenon which poses a great threat to sports.
United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Adviser on Sport for Development and Peace said in his opening speech that sports brings cultures and people together. He believes that police officers can play an important role in this matter.
Guest speaker Mr. Sam Ramsamy, IOC-member and Chairman of the IOC Sports for All Commission memorised in his speech that he was impressed by the different themes of this conference and he was convinced that the results of this conference will be effort for the connection between the Police and the communities all over the world.
