Abu Dhabi (the Union) - Qais Al-Za'abi, the President of the Asian Rugby Union, retained his position after winning the elections held yesterday during the General Assembly meeting of the Union on the sidelines of the third leg of the Asia Rugby Sevens Series, currently being held in Bangkok, Thailand. Al-Za'abi won with 17 votes against 11 votes for Ada Milby, President of the Philippine Rugby Union, while Terence Koh of Singapore won the position of Vice President of the Union. Al-Za'abi is preparing to run for a seat on the International Rugby Board's Executive Committee on November 14 in Dublin, Ireland. Al-Za'abi expressed his happiness at retaining his position, thanking Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, for his great support to rugby, as well as Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President of the UAE and President of the National Olympic Committee, for his unlimited support to the country's athletes to enhance their international positions. He also thanked Sheikh Rashid bin Humaid Al Nuaimi, Vice President of the National Olympic Committee, and Sheikh Mohammed bin Maktoum bin Juma Al Maktoum, President of the Rugby Federation and the Working Committee. He emphasized that the support of the sports leadership to the UAE's athletes in international positions is always the key to success, which aligns with the wise leadership's guidance to enhance the country's soft power in all fields, thanking the General Authority for Sports and the National Olympic Committee. Al-Za'abi said: 'Retaining the position is a great responsibility, especially since we have achieved a large number of gains on both administrative and organizational levels during the previous term, including changing the election system from two years to four years, and transferring the Asian Rugby Union's headquarters from Hong Kong to Dubai after 52 years, with an absolute majority vote from the General Assembly members, after signing an agreement between the Asian Rugby Union and the UAE government, represented by the General Authority for Sports, to host the headquarters from 2022 to 2032, in addition to increasing the number of Asian Rugby Union members from 32 countries to 36 countries.'
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