Day two of World Sports Summit sees focus on athletes' well-being

Day two of the first-ever World Sports Summit in Dubai has seen the focus shift from inspiration to action, with conversations spanning athlete well-being, innovation and the future business of global sports.

The event drew more than 1,500 sports industry figures for two days of discussions and featured around 70 speakers including active and retired athletes, federation presidents, team executives and sports administrators, according to organisers.

"It's understanding that you need patience to stay motivated and keep coming back. Even being here for a short time, I'm inspired and eager to get back into training, to put the work in and push for my next fight," said UFC fighter Michael "Venom" Page.

Dubai Sports Council organised the event under the patronage of Crown Prince of Dubai and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of the United Arab Emirates Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

The gathering focused on themes such as Uniting the World Through Sport.

"Believe to God, believe in yourself and hard work, focus and you will achieve all that you are dreaming for. And make sure you are dreaming to make a legacy, a legacy that can help and be an inspiration to the next generation," said former world champion boxer, Manny Pacquiao.

Day one included panels featuring tennis players Novak Djokovic, Ons Jabeur and Paula Badosa, boxers Manny Pacquiao and Oleksandr Usyk, and Brazilian footballer Ronaldo Nazario.

Paris Saint-Germain President Nasser Al Khelaifi spoke in conversation with former Liverpool striker Peter Crouch.

Day two sessions featured mixed martial arts fighter Khabib Nurmagomedov, Italian footballers Roberto Baggio and Alessandro Del Piero, and former NBA players now working as sports executives.

Topics covered included fan engagement strategies, artificial intelligence applications in athletics, women's sports development, and sport's social influence beyond competition.

The event supports Dubai Sports Sector Strategic Plan 2033, which targets doubling the sports sector's economic contribution to 18.3 billion dirhams (€4.25 billion).

Dubai has invested heavily in sports infrastructure and hosts regular international competitions across football, tennis, golf, cricket and other disciplines throughout the year.

From boardrooms to locker rooms, the message here is clear: global sport is evolving fast and Dubai wants to be at the centre of the conversation.