More than 4,300 runners to attend road races at NAS Sports Tournament on Saturday

• UAE to meet the Netherlands in the final of Padel Team Championship
• Sharjah Self-Defence Sports Club wins Adult category ahead of Al Ain in Jiu-Jitsu Championship

DUBAI: More than 4,300 male and female runners of different nationalities and ages are scheduled to take part in the road race to be held as part of the activities of the 12th edition of the ‘Nad Al Sheba Sports Tournament’, on Saturday evening.

Arguably the largest sporting event of its kind, the NAS Sports Tournament has been launched and sponsored by His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, and is held annually during the holy month of Ramadan at the Nad Al Sheba Sports Complex, under the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Dubai Sports Council, under the slogan ‘Limitless Capabilities’.

The running competitions will start at 9 pm today (Saturday, March 8) at Meydan Racecourse, and participants will compete over distances of 10km, 5km and 4km at the Meydan Racecourse, in several age categories.

There will be a 10km Open category race for male and female citizens with participation from national teams, clubs, police teams, armed forces, civil defence, fitness trainers and professional athletes.

The 5km race will be at the community level for male and female citizens, with the Open category for men including senior citizens and residents (above 50 years), and the 4km race will be for junior boys and girls aged 13-14 years, and 11-12 years.

The entire racing on the night will be officiated and judged as per rules and regulations laid down by the UAE Athletics Federation.

UAE make it to the final in Teams Padel

Hosts the UAE advanced to the final of the teams padel competition with a hard-fought 2-1 win against Kuwait, where they will be meet the Netherlands.

The UAE duo of Enric Goinaga and Ignacio Villarino secured a strong 6-2, 6-2 win against Abdulaziz Reda and Talal Al Qahtani to take a 1-0 lead. But, the Kuwaiti pair of Abdulrahman Al Awadhi and Yousef Saleh drew level with a 6-3, 6-2 win against Fares Al Janahi and Majed Al Janahi.

It was then left up to Inigo Joffre and Arnau Ayats to hand the UAE the right to advance to the final following their 6-1, 6-0 domination of Ahmed Shaaban and Hussein Al Sarraf.

The UAE’s opponents in the final will be the Netherlands after the Dutch had secured an easy 2-0 result against Iran.

Mats Groen and Kai Groen subdued Bahadur Basirat and Amir Jamshadi 6-1, 6-1, and then Jank Verwater and Nicolas van Beetow ensured their spot in the final with a 6-3, 7-6 win against Farsad Shahi and Aria Roghani.

NAS Tournament backs local talent

Sayed Ismail Al Hashimi, Acting Executive Director of the Corporate Support Services Sector at Dubai Municipality, was pleased to be associated with this annual tournament that is held since the past 12 years during the holy month of Ramadan.

“We at Dubai Municipality are pleased to support and sponsor the ‘Nad Al Sheba Sports Tournament’ – the largest sporting and community event held annually. Dubai Municipality has always been keen to harness all its efforts and capabilities to support the success of this tournament, as we view it as an ideal opportunity and a comprehensive sports platform, bringing together athletes of different nationalities to compete, challenge and enjoy an exciting sports and entertainment atmosphere, within integrated spaces that stimulate teamwork and sports among members of society. This, in turn, contributes in enhancing the concept and lifestyle of healthy and sporting life in the Emirate of Dubai, supporting local talents in addition to devoting positive sportsmanship and community cohesion,” he said.

Jiu-Jitsu conclusion

The Jiu-Jitsu Championship witnessed wide participation from various clubs and academies in the country. The competitions were distinguished by an exciting atmosphere in light of the large audience presence and continuous encouragement for the players who displayed professional performances along with high levels of skill and competitiveness.

The competitions were attended and the winners were crowned by His Excellency Saeed Hareb, Secretary-General of the Dubai Sports Council; His Excellency Yousef Abdullah Al Batran, Board Member of the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation; and Adel Al Bannai, Member of the Organizing Committee and Head of the Technical Committee of the Nad Al Sheba Sports Tournament.

At the end of the adult category competitions, the Sharjah Self-Defence Sports Club won the title, ahead of Al Ain Jiu-Jitsu Club, while Bani Yas Jiu-Jitsu Club came in third.

His Excellency Yousef Abdullah Al Batran, Board Member of the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation, stressed the importance of the partnership between the federation and the Dubai Sports Council in organizing this distinguished event annually within the Nad Al Sheba Sports Tournament.

He explained that the event constitutes a pioneering platform that brings together elite athletes in the country, and contributes to consolidating the status of Jiu-Jitsu as a popular sport with a broad base of practitioners from different categories.

He was further pleased that the sport of Jiu-Jitsu continues to achieve remarkable achievements, whether in terms of developing talents, organizing and hosting tournaments, or creating champions, thanks to the great support from the wise leadership and the diligent follow-up from members of the federation.

Competitions galore

With the running races held on March 8, next will be the badminton championships on March 8 and 9, followed by the wheelchair basketball championship starting on March 9 and continuing till March 19.

The shooting and running championship (Laser Run) will be held on March 10 and 11, while the tug-of-war championship will start on March 11 and continue till March 18. The cycling race will be held on March 15 and 16, while the volleyball championship competitions will start on March 12 and continue till March 20.

The organizing committee continues to receive registration requests to participate in the running, cycling, shooting with running (Laser Run), badminton, tug-of-war and obstacle course championships, through the tournament’s approved electronic system on the official website www.nasst.ae.