UIPM Coaches Certification Programme: History made as Saudi Arabia hosts its first course 

As the global growth of UIPM Sports continues, there was an important piece of history in the Middle East in recent weeks.

Saudi Arabia hosted its first ever UIPM Coaches Certification Programme (CCP) course, with men and women from the Kingdom taking a first and hugely significant step on the coaching ladder.

The Middle East has seen a surge in interest in recent years and 2023 shapes to be a year of major growth. At the first UIPM Pentathlon World Cup of the 2023 season in Cairo (EGY), UIPM President Dr Klaus Schormann met with representatives from Lebanon and the United Arab Emirates to discuss growth and development in their countries. 

In February, Saudi Arabia hosted its first ever Laser Run National Championship with Biathle and Triathle also proving to be hugely popular vehicles for development. The Level 1 CCP course, which was organised with the assistance of the Saudi Modern Pentathlon Federation and took place in the capital of Riyadh in late March, is another sign of development in the Kingdom.

With expert instructor Marian Gheorghe (ROU), a UIPM CCP Level 4 Coach, overseeing proceedings, 17 participants, including five women, went through a week of comprehensive work with all 17 successfully passing the programme and achieving their CCP Level 1 certification. 

Zuhair Alshammasi, Saudi Modern Pentathlon Federation Executive Director, said: “The recent UIPM CCP course laid the first base for Modern Pentathlon coaches in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The  17 male and female coaches came from across all regions of the Kingdom, and we hope that will be reflected in the spread of Modern Pentathlon in the country.”

UIPM CCP Instructor Marian Gheorge (ROU) said: “I appreciate the interest of the Saudi Arabia Modern Pentathlon Federation in the promotion of Laser Run, Biathle and Triathle. 

“All participants who got the Level 1 coaching certification were very enthusiastic about the new information received in the course, and they will become the new stakeholders who will introduce the new sport in their clubs or region in all cities around Saudi Arabia. 

“A significant step was made by the Saudi Modern Pentathlon Federation to create a new base for a new sport and I am looking forward to the future for Pentathlon in the Kingdom." 

Christian Roudaut, Chair of the UIPM Coaches Committee, added: “The UIPM Coaches Certification Programme continues to offer opportunities for coaches in all regions and continents respecting all levels of development.

“I was delighted to hear of the success of the recent course in Riyadh, which enabled a strong cohort of Saudi female and male coaches to achieve their first step on the ladder. My thanks go to Marian and everyone from the Saudi federation who was involved in the success of this course.”