Saudi Lacrosse Federation sets out strategy to spread game across Kingdom

RIYADH: It’s a measure of the rapid development of sport in Saudi Arabia that lacrosse is starting to gain popularity among some in the capital Riyadh. The sport may be the oldest organized sport in North America, with a version played as early as the 12th century by the natives of the land before being adopted later by European settlers, but in this part of the world it was practically unheard of until recently.

Now the seeds of growth of what some consider a niche sport have been sown in the Kingdom. The Saudi Lacrosse Federation launched their first club in Riyadh at the end of 2022, with Executive Director Mohammad Abdullah Al-Jabri explaining a strategy that began almost three years ago.

“Our purpose from this club is to raise awareness of this sport and its growth and fulfil the skills of the athletes,” he said at the game’s new home of Saudi Lacrosse Club in Riyadh. “Actually, we started this plan on Jan.

1, 2020; it was a school program that was divided into four stages.” “The first stage was about raising awareness, the second stage was about the applied skills of Lacrosse, the third was about the fulfillment of the skills of the athletes by providing them with coaches and courses,” said Al-Jabri. “Now we are at the final stage, which is school programs where we bring all of the best athletes, boys and girls, to the club to give them more training of lacrosse to fulfil their potential.” It might be early days, but several youngsters have already caught the bug.

“I was in my neighborhood’s club, and then I met coaches Rawan and Hind they informed me that it was an American sport and it’s the first time (it’s being played) here in Saudi,” said Nagham Airame. “I loved the sport because it was something new, and