To say the last few months have been different would be an understatement, and the lives of everyone across Dubai were affected and still are though things have improved some what with some restrictions being eased.
Those affected a lot were children as schools were some of the first to close and some of the last to re-open, which meant school children missed on interaction with school friends and involvement in some of the many extra curricular activities they do either within or outside of school.
This was the case for young members of the Emirates Golf Federation who are used ot training and playing with other members almost everyday of the week.
To address this and help support players, the Emirates Golf Federation set up virtual golfing clinics and used digital technology to continue training its members. One of the virtual clinics was hosted by Ian Poulter, international golfer and DP World's global ambassador
Young members of the Emirates Golf Federation and members of the UAE National Golf team explained how these virtual clinics helped them get through the difficult period where schools were closed and they remained at home.
Shahad Al Suwaidi, a UAE National Golf Team player, said, “Lockdown was extremely tough for everybody. There were so much uncertainty and people were scared. We weren’t allowed to go to school or see our friends. The only thing we had was our close family, home schooling and golf.”
Shahad's younger brother and a junior member of the UAE National team, Abdulla Al Suwaidi, added, "Technology really helped. We used video calls as part of home schooling and also to stay connected with the team and coaches. We did as much as we could at home; practising putting inside and driving into nets outside. The clinic with the pro Ian Poulter was a real highlight. it was things like that which helped keep me positive."
The experiences of Shahad and Abdulla Al Suwaidi will be familiar with a lot of people who used sport and and video interaction to get through the challenges of lockdown, which DP World captured in a short video.