New UAE coach Vera Pauw said she hopes to replicate the success she enjoyed in charge of Republic of Ireland with the national team.
Dutchwoman Pauw was installed as head coach of the UAE women's football team in January having previously led Ireland from 2019 to 2023.
That coincided with the country's best moment in women's international football. The pinnacle of Pauw's time in charge came in 2022 when Ireland beat Scotland in a play-off to qualify for a first Fifa Women's World Cup.
At the tournament the following year, Ireland secured their first point in their opening group game against Nigeria. Although they finished bottom of the group following defeats to Canada and Australia, Pauw left a lasting legacy on Irish football.
Now charged with doing the same in the UAE, Pauw said she cannot wait to get started in her new role.
“My excitement is to be on the pitch again with talented players who want to get the most out of their career,” she told The National of her return to coaching international football.
“My drive has always been to develop talented teams to the top level, to open opportunities to play in the biggest leagues in the world.”
Pauw is much-travelled in her coaching career having previously been in charge of the Netherlands, who she guided to the semi-finals of the 2009 European Championship, Scotland, Russia and South Africa.
Pauw worked wonders in helping Ireland qualify for a first global finals and the challenge is to do the same with the Emirates, who have never qualified for a major tournament.
Ranked 116th in the world by Fifa, the country's only success has been back-to-back WAFF Women's Championships in 2010 and 2011.
“The challenge to qualify is huge, but something is only impossible the moment it appears impossible," Pauw said. "Why would we not? We are now in the process of finding the very best players. The team will always be in development and players of the youth development programme will come through.”
She added: “As long as a structured, logical and consistent approach is used, anything is possible. Every country has talent, also here, but every country has its own culture, both on and off the pitch. The art is to use all the best qualities we have in the team and eliminate what we are not so good at. I have shown that it works.”
Pauw is a trailblazer in her own right. Before embarking on a managerial career, she played for the Netherlands between 1984 and 1998 winning 89 caps. In 1988, she became the first female Dutch footballer to play professionally abroad when she signed for Italian club Modena.
Coaching the UAE will see Pauw work closely with Houriya Al Taheri, the respected former UAE international in charge of the Under-19s team.
Al Taheri holds the distinction of being the first Arab female Fifa-certified coach, and Pauw said she was looking forward to working with an Emirati she admires and respects.
“Houriya has been close to my heart already for a long time. The biggest motivation to step into this amazing challenge has been the idea to work together with her. I feel immense respect for her.”
Dates for the diary
To mark Bodytree’s 10th anniversary, the coming season will be filled with celebratory activities:
- September 21 Anyone interested in becoming a certified yoga instructor can sign up for a 250-hour course in Yoga Teacher Training with Jacquelene Sadek. It begins on September 21 and will take place over the course of six weekends.
- October 18 to 21 International yoga instructor, Yogi Nora, will be visiting Bodytree and offering classes.
- October 26 to November 4 International pilates instructor Courtney Miller will be on hand at the studio, offering classes.
- November 9 Bodytree is hosting a party to celebrate turning 10, and everyone is invited. Expect a day full of free classes on the grounds of the studio.
- December 11 Yogeswari, an advanced certified Jivamukti teacher, will be visiting the studio.
- February 2, 2018 Bodytree will host its 4th annual yoga market.
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The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
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Whether you trek after mountain gorillas in Rwanda, Uganda or the Congo, the most convenient international airport is in Rwanda’s capital city, Kigali. There are direct flights from Dubai a couple of days a week with RwandAir. Otherwise, an indirect route is available via Nairobi with Kenya Airways. Flydubai flies to Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo, via Entebbe in Uganda. Expect to pay from US$350 (Dh1,286) return, including taxes.
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Superb ape-watching tours that take in all three gorilla countries mentioned above are run by Natural World Safaris. In September, the company will be operating a unique Ugandan ape safari guided by well-known primatologist Ben Garrod.
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, local operator Kivu Travel can organise pretty much any kind of safari throughout the Virunga National Park and elsewhere in eastern Congo.
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