Sports for All Federation recognized as national governing body for Functional Fitness in Saudi Arabia

RIYADH: The International Functional Fitness Federation on Thursday recognized the Saudi Sports for All Federation as the national governing body for functional fitness in Saudi Arabia.

SFA, the main body responsible for developing community sports in the Kingdom, was established in 2018. In line with Vision 2030, Saudi Arabia’s blueprint for economic and social reform, the federation is mandated to raise physical activity levels in the Kingdom.

Shaima Saleh Al-Husseini, managing director of the federation, said: “We are delighted to be recognized by iF3 as a member of the iF3 for functional fitness in Saudi Arabia. As part of our mission to drive community sports in the Kingdom, we have placed an emphasis on shining a light on the power of functional fitness, launching projects, and hosting events, such as SandClash, to encourage people to adopt healthier lifestyles. Functional fitness has grown tremendously over the years in Saudi Arabia, and we are determined to inspire more people and communities to take it up.”

She added: “The 2023 edition of our SandClash event attracted over 4,000 participants, with close to 800 athletes from 45-plus countries taking part in the two-day competition. Our future SandClash events promise to be even bigger, with more competitors and participants taking part, raising the bar for fitness-themed competitions and engagements in the region.”

Gretchen Kittelberger, president of the International Functional Fitness Federation, said: “The Saudi Sports for All Federation has been doing great work to promote and grow functional fitness in Saudi Arabia for several years. In addition to launching a diverse range of community-focused campaigns, state-of-the-art facilities, and youth programs,