DUBAI: Dubai Police reserved their best for the last with a 61-60 win against Federal Authority For Identity and Citizenship Dubai, to win the Wheelchair Basketball title at the 11th Nad Al Sheba Sports Tournament.
Played before a jam-packed crowd at the Nad Al Sheba Sports Complex Hall late on Thursday, the final turned out to be an exciting affair with the lead repeatedly changing hands until the team representing Dubai Police won in the end to send the management into wild scenes of celebration.
The semi-finals had been close affairs, too, with Dubai Police moving ahead of the Dubai Ambulance Services 31-25, while Federal Authority For Identity and Citizenship Dubai had won over Dubai Courts 39-20.
Saeed Hareb, Secretary-General of Dubai Sports Council and Chairman of the Organising Committee, was joined by Hassan Al Mazrouei, Tournament Director of the Nad Al Sheba Sports Tournament, and the various representatives from sponsors, in awarding the winners and runners-up of the wheelchair basketball tourn
ament.
The 11th Ramadan Sports Tournament will conclude with the volleyball finals on March 31.
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), this year’s sports tournament had nine different sports disciplines, including Padel, Jiu-Jitsu, Fencing, Road Racing, Cycling and an Obstacle Challenge Race, which have all been completed, leaving just the Volleyball, Wheelchair Basketball and Tug-of-War competitions.
The 11th Ramadan Sports Tournament will conclude with the volleyball final that is scheduled to be held on Easter Sunday (March 31).
Also receiving their awards were champions and winners of other competitions held earlier, including cycling, road running and an obstacle race in the presence of Saeed Hareb
, Hassan Al Mazrouei, Mohamed Ali Al Kamzari, Manager of the Corporate Communications Office at AWQAF Dubai, Abdulla Al Hashmi, Chief Operating Office, Parks and Zones, DP World GCC and Waleed Al Shibani, Director of the Dubai Municipality Club.
Obstacle Race champions
In the Obstacle Course Race (OCR), the top honours were won by Nikita Khaydukov and Ida Mathilde in the men’s and women’s categories, respectively. Mohammed Al Musahi and Abdulla Fuaad placed second and third in the men’s competition, while Alisa Petrova and Olga Kopeiko had triumphed in the women’s category.
OCR is a sport in which a competitor, travelling on foot, must overcome various challenges in the form of obstacles. Races vary in length from courses with obstacles close together to events of several kilometres which incorporate elements of track, road and / or cross country/trail running.
Courses may include climbing over walls or up ropes, monkey bars, carrying heavy objects, traversing bodies of water or mud, crawling under barbed
wire and jumping through fire. Since the beginning of modern OCR in 1987, the sport has grown in popularity, as more than 2,500 events are held annually across the globe.
Road running champions
Meanwhile, the 5km run for men and women saw some familiar faces up on the podium, with Latifa Essarokh winning the women’s race ahead of Liliana Orejuela and Penelope Anne Mary Emes.
In the open category for women, it was Liesbeth Verheyden finishing ahead of Alisa Petrova and Ida Mathilde Rubens Steensgaard.
The top positions in the men’s race were won by Mbarek Rihane, ahead of Jean Claude Haramboure and Simon Marshall. The men’s open category race was won by Amine Souida, who finished ahead of Julius Kyasanku and Grace Gwidi.
The 10km race for women in the open category had a worthy winner, in the form of Wafa Zaroual leaving Fanos Tekle and Kate Jordan in second and third, respectively. In the men’s section, the winner was Dagne Tesfu Demsie, as he finished clear of Anouar El Ghouz and Noaman El Assaoui. Ruqa
yya Mohammed Al Marzooqi clinched the crown in the UAE National women’s category, while Khalid Khalil Al Bedwawi ended on top in the UAE National men’s category.
The 11th Nad Al Sheba Sports Tournament is now approaching the end, with just the Strongman and Volleyball competitions to be conducted in the next two days.
The final round of the Strongman, which is being organized in three different categories, was scheduled to be held late on Friday night, followed by the third place play-off and final of the eight-team volleyball over the weekend.
Source: Emirates News Agency
