NAS Padel Championship kicks off from today with seven countries in the fray

• Strong competitions between elite international fencers in the Fencing Championship

• Registration continues for participation in running, cycling, shooting, badminton, obstacle challenge and tug-of-war

DUBAI: The Nad Al Sheba Padel Championship will kick off today (Monday) as part of the activities of the 12th edition of the ‘Nad Al Sheba Sports Tournament’, the largest sports tournament of its kind launched and sponsored by His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense.

Held annually during the holy month of Ramadan at the sprawling 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 event is poised to be even bigger and better this time.

The Nad Al Sheba Padel Championship will feature teams from the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Iran, Australia, the Netherlands and Saudi Arabia. The group stage matches will kick off on Monday, and worked out on Tuesday and Wednesday, while the semi-finals will be on Thursday and the final on Friday (March 7).

The International Padel Federation (FIP) Gold Championship concluded on Sunday, with strong competition between the participating international players in both, the men’s and womens sections.

Next will be the Nad Al Sheba Open Doubles Championship that is scheduled to be held on Saturday (March 8) with participation from the best 32 doubles pairings. This competition will continue till March 12, and will be followed by the FIP Junior Championship from March 13 to 16, and the local padel competition from March 16 to 20.

Strong line-up in fencing

Meanwhile, the fencing championship witnessed strong competitions on Sunday evening, with some of the elite international fencers from across the world competing.

The fencing competition consists of two categories, namely the international championship for men’s epee and a separate one for UAE-based fencers. The men’s epee has attracted fencers from 13 nations, including Italy, Peru, Egypt, France, Tunisia, Slovakia, India, USA, Russia, Tajikistan, Syria, Saudi Arabia, along with UAE fencers registered with the national team and local clubs.

The competition also includes a special local girls’ championship in which the UAE’s female players will participate, along with UAE nationals and those born in the country.

Partnership with Pocari Sweat

Mahmoud Bassiouni, representative of Pocari Sweat, the healthy hydration partner of the tournament, said: “Pocari Sweat, the drink developed by Otsuka Pharmaceuticals in the UAE, is proud to support the Nad Al Sheba Sports Championship, which comes through our partnership with the Dubai Sports Council, is a celebration of excellence, teamwork and sportsmanship. As a loyal partner, we are committed to empowering athletes, and together we inspire future generations to push the boundaries of their ambitions for the better and showcase their potential, talent and excellence on the field.”

Registration continues

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.

The Jiu-Jitsu Championship will be held on March 5 and 6, while the Obstacle Challenge will start on March 6 and continue till March 10. The running race will be held on March 8, while the badminton championships will be worked out on March 8 and 9. The wheelchair basketball championship will start on March 9 and continue until 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.