The UAE national roller skating team has completed its final preparations in Abu Dhabi before travelling to Italy for an international championship that will test the country’s progress in one of the fastest-growing urban sports segments.Saeed Al Ajel, President of the UAE Sports for All Federation and head of the roller skating committee, attended the closing training sessions and reviewed the squad’s readiness, technical programme and competition requirements. His presence underlined the official push to move roller skating from a community activity into a structured competitive pathway supported by domestic leagues, talent identification and overseas participation.
The squad’s Italy assignment comes as roller sports gain greater visibility across the Olympic and world championship calendar. Skateboarding is already an Olympic discipline, while other wheel-based formats, including speed skating, artistic skating, inline freestyle and roller freestyle, are drawing more youth participation through clubs and national federations. For the UAE, the championship offers an early benchmark against more established skating nations and a chance to expose young athletes to international standards in race discipline, tactical awareness and event pressure.
Officials see the trip as part of a broader plan to form sustainable national teams rather than rely on isolated participation. The UAE launched its first national roller skating league in Dubai this year with more than 200 competitors across age groups and nationalities, creating a domestic base from which selectors can identify athletes for external competitions. The league includes multiple race formats aligned with international technical rules and is intended to give skaters a regular competitive platform.
Al Ajel has described the domestic league as a starting point for building national squads, discovering talent and spreading the sport among wider sections of society. The latest preparations in Abu Dhabi were focused on speed, balance, cornering, endurance and competitive positioning, with coaches working on both individual drills and race simulation. The team’s technical staff also reviewed equipment readiness and injury-prevention measures before departure.
Italy is a significant venue for roller and skateboarding disciplines, with Rome and other cities hosting major international events under the global World Skate calendar. The country has invested in urban sports infrastructure and has become a regular stop for elite competition, particularly in skateboarding’s park and street formats. That environment is expected to give UAE athletes exposure to stronger fields, tighter judging and more demanding race conditions than they usually encounter in domestic events.
The UAE’s participation also reflects a policy shift towards less traditional sports that can attract younger athletes and support community fitness goals. Roller skating is relatively low-cost compared with several organised sports, can be practised in schools, clubs and public spaces, and appeals to both boys and girls. That makes it attractive for sports bodies seeking wider participation while also developing a competitive pyramid for promising athletes.
The Sports for All Federation has been central to this expansion, working with clubs, academies and event organisers to raise participation and formalise competition structures. The federation’s mandate has traditionally focused on community activity, but the roller skating programme shows how mass participation can be linked to elite development when there is a clear calendar, technical supervision and access to international events.
The Italy championship will also help measure gaps in coaching, conditioning and competition management. UAE skaters are expected to face athletes from countries with deeper skating systems and longer exposure to international circuits. That makes the event valuable even beyond results, as coaches can assess race craft, pacing, transitions, starts and recovery standards against global peers.
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