“The idea to join hands with Jeddah United was basically because of its pioneering success in Jeddah. That really encouraged us to start something similar here,” said Hasan A. Abulhasan, partner and vice-president of the auto distributor. “People follow success. I applaud Lina Almaeena, the force behind Jeddah United, and her team for having the intelligence and the courage to start this venture. To grow from just six girls in 2003 to 300 men and women in 2010 is a major success. It becomes even more important if you take into consideration the barriers that one encounters here in undertaking such initiatives. I am glad that through sports she is promoting a healthy lifestyle.” He made the remarks at the launch of the new sports organization on Monday night at the Le Meridien in Alkhobar.

“We see this as a national duty. Custodian of the Two Mosques King Abdullah has through his wise policies underlined the importance of sports,” said Lina Almaeena, Jeddah United executive director and captain of the Women’s Basketball Division. “Whatever we have done has had an amazing impact on society from a social point of view.”

She said she hopes women’s basketball proves to be as popular in the Eastern Province as it has become in Jeddah.

“Once you are on the court, it acts as a stress buster,” Almaeena said. “I would say, sports is better than Prozac. For us women, basketball is an important game. It is the No. 1 sport just as soccer is for men. Also, women are familiar with basketball because it has been in the private schools for the last 30 years; Jeddah’s Dar Al-Hanan being the best example.”

She noted that Jeddah United has proven a worthy alternative for otherwise idle youth.

“We have seen and do see girls as young as 13 smoking shisha in coffee shops,” Almaeena said. “Why?  Because they have nothing else to do. They are forced to waste hours upon hours in shopping malls. Through Jeddah United’s unique events we brought them onto the court and are trying to give them a direction. We organize events that promote social messages; we look at sports as a tool to educate the masses.”

Abulhasan agreed with Almaeena.

“I have seen what Jeddah United has done in the Western Province,” he told Arab News. “They have given a healthy outlet to our youngsters. Sports dissolve all barriers and boundaries. It teaches you team spirit and decision-making. The idea to start Khobar United is to give our youngsters here in this city a platform to get on to basketball and volleyball courts rather than speeding around on our roads hurting themselves and hurting others.”

The move seems like a natural step forward for a company with a long history of socially responsible programs.

“We have had the Mazda Football Team for 30 years now,” said Omar H. Abulhasan, the automobile distributor’s director of systems, administration and vehicle finance. “Our association with the Eastern Province goes back to the 1950s. In the past, we have sponsored the Khobar Marathon. We encourage and promote sporting activity. We recognize our responsibility. This partnership will benefit our society. It is a win-win scenario, and Mazda is proud to be associated with such an initiative.”

Beyond physical and emotional wellness, the women’s sporting groups eventually hope to produce world-class athletes.

“The vision is to generate potential Olympic-level players to compete in national and international events,” said Obaid G. Madani, managing director of Jeddah United. “Our mission is to promote basketball, football and sportsmanship for women and youth in the Kingdom within the framework of our religion and culture.”

Although it has a seven-year head start, one day soon Jeddah United may find Khobar United to be a serious challenger.

“Women were asking for it. We have a huge potential for growth,” said Nasreen T. Almaeena, executive director of Khobar United. “Initially, we are starting with one women’s team. But as it happened in Jeddah, we expect the same thing here in Alkhobar. Sports is a passion for us. It leads to a healthy life and contributes positively to our society. This is a challenging task, and we are looking forward to giving it our best shot and making it a huge success.”