KUWAIT CITY, Nov 22: Champion Among Us, in cooperation with Kuwait Sports Club and the Kuwait Diabetes Society recently hosted a swimming tournament at Kuwait Sports Club for World Diabetes Day.Heralded as Swimmers Fighting Diabetes, 80 swimmers ranging in age from 6-14 years of age competed in the tournament to raise awareness of the disease.The Kuwait Diabetes Society proudly participated in the event providing timely diabetes awareness; highlighting the fact that over 40% of the Kuwait community have diabetes which is considered a high rate country globally.Dr. Iman Al-Basiri, consultant on glands, sugar and childhood obesity and member of the board of Directors of the Kuwait Diabetes Society gave a lecture to swimmers, their families and associates at the swimming complex of Kuwait Sports Club about the importance of diabetes awareness and effective prevention methods.  She emphasized that health education and sports as a lifestyle are highly effective tools in fighting this disease.She explained that sports clubs in the State of Kuwait have the responsibility to raise awareness and prevent the disease by encouraging the community to exercise in their sports facilities.  She also recommended periodic programs of awareness-raising, screening, diabetes advice and consultation adding that today’s tournament was a great step toward education the younger generations.This is the first children’s swimming tournament of its kind to be hosted by a government sports club in the State of Kuwait to raise awareness for World Diabetes Day.Fencing Champion Balsam Al-Ayoub stated “Through the Sports and Society Committee at the Kuwait Sports Club and Champion Among Us program we work to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s) of the United Nations.Fundamentally we work to raise awareness of key issues in society that specifically affect children as they represent the largest proportion of the Kuwait Sports Club in various sports ... We have a responsibility to take care of their health, psychological and cultural needs.Tournaments such as these are very effective in increasing awareness amongst their peers; showing them to be examples of healthy athletes who must take care of themselves in order to be competitive.”Champion Balsam Al-Ayoub offered her gratitude and thanks to the family of the Kuwait Sports Club, participating swimmers, the Board of Directors of Kuwait Club Khalid al-Ghanim and the Kuwait Diabetes Society for their endless cooperation and support to set up the tournament and achieve its desired goals.