The competitions for the eleventh edition of the ‘Nad Al Sheba (NAS) Sports Tournament', launched and supported by His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Executive Council, will commence from Monday evening (March 11).
Held under the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman Dubai Sports Council, the largest sports tournament of its kind during the holy month of Ramadan at the NAS Sports Complex, is conducted under the slogan “Limitless Capabilities.”
Organised under the auspices of the Dubai Sports Council (DSC), the annual sports fiesta will continue till March 31 and will have nine different sports disciplines, including Volleyball, Padel, Jiu-Jitsu, Fencing, Wheelchair Basketball, Road Race, Cycling, Tug-of-War and an Obstacle Challenge.
The Padel Championship will launch this edition of competitions from Monday and continue till March 30. This year's tournament will have some of the top padel players from across the world descending in Dubai.
The padel competition will be followed by a three-day fencing tournament to be held from March 12-14. This will be followed by the Obstacle Challenge that will commence on March 14 and continue till March 21.
The 5-km and 10-km road running race will be up next on the schedule at the Meydan Track on March 16. Next will be the Jiu-Jitsu Championship that will be held on March 17 and 18, followed by the Wheelchair Basketball tournament that is scheduled to start from March 20 and continue until March 28.
Next up will be Cycling on March 22 and 23 followed by the Volleyball competition from March 22 to 31. The Tug-of-War will also be held from March 24 and continue till March 29.
Led by His Excellency Saeed Hareb, Secretary General of the Dubai Sports Council and Chairman of the Organizing Committee, the Nad Al Sheba Sports Tournament further announced that top finishers of this year's various competitions stand to win more than AED 3.6 million in cash prizes.
The winners of the volleyball tournament will receive prizes worth AED 1.5 million, while another AED 500,000 have been earmarked for the finishers of the cycling race. Winners of the Padel tournament will get more than AED 374,000, while the various winners in the road race stand to win a cumulative amount of AED 325, 000.
The amount allocated for the winners of tug-of-war tournament is AED 280,000, while Obstacle Challenge winners stand to get AED 265,000. Teams participating in the Wheelchair Basketball tournament will get AED 210,000, while winners in the Jiu-Jitsu competition will receive prizes worth AED 150,000 and the winners of the Fencing will get AED 56,000.
H.E. Saeed Hareb was grateful to His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Executive Council, for his support and backing in providing UAE residents with one of the most important international sporting events, the Nad Al Sheba Sports Tournament. Over the years, this multi-discipline event has grown to be arguably one of the top competitions held during the holy month of Ramadan anywhere in the world.
“The Dubai Sports Council and the organizing committee, under the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Dubai Sports Council, are constantly working to enhance the standing of this tournament at all sporting levels. Our main focus is to achieve the lofty goals set by His Highness Sheikh Hamdan. We have completed ten editions of this event and we owe much of this success to the vision of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan,” Saeed Hareb commented.
“This is the best sporting event held during Ramadan and our amateur and professional athletes from inside and outside the UAE await the arrival of the holy month each year so that they can participate in various activities. Not only do the athletes benefit from a high level of competition, but they also get to interact with top international athletes from across the world,” he added.
“Each year we have endeavoured to add at least one sporting discipline, and this year we have been fortunate to have the tug-of-war and Obstacle Challenge making their debut in the nine different sports this Ramadan,” Saeed Hareb noted.
Nasser Aman Al Rahma, Assistant Secretary General of the Dubai Sports Council and Vice Chairman of the Organizing Committee was pleased with the march towards excellence, not just by the event, but by the participating athletes. “For sure, this tournament has laid the marker for greatness in sporting events. And this has pushed us towards further excellence in achieving goals,” he noted.
“This year, we have nine different sporting events and once again we will have athletes from all across the globe descending here to partake of the unique atmosphere that Dubai lays out before the world. The eleventh edition starting on Monday will once again witness the participation of some of the top international and Arab stars in various competitions. We have a legacy angle to this tournament as we are keen to provide our own sportspersons with an adequate platform to perform, while also laying out the notion of legacy for sports in the UAE,” Al Rahma added.
Hassan Al Mazrouei, the Course Director was pleased with the arrangements made by the organizing committee this year. “This year's NAS Sports Tournament will be distinct and unique in all its details. We have ensured we provide the best for the participants so that the level and standard of competition is also of a high nature,” he said.
