Surprise pip Fohood Zabeel in NAS Volleyball opener; Dubai 2021 win

Mohammed Al Hachdadi and Bisset Yordan proved to be a formidable combination on the opening night of the NAS Volleyball Championship, guiding Surprise to a 3-2 win over a battling Fohood Zabeel.

Moroccan Al Hachdadi, the man of the match, scored a game-high 32 points while Yordan of Cuba contributed 25 points as Surprise cut short Fohood Zabeel’s spirited rally from 0-2 down with a steady performance in the deciding fifth set to edge the opening match of the tournament 25-19, 26-24, 26-28, 16-25, 15-12.

In the second match of the night, Dubai 2021 cruised to a 3-1 (25-20, 22-25, 25-16, 25-20) win over Al Burkan. Cuban Hernandez Ramos led the scoring charts for Dubai 2021 with 25 points, while Yoendri Alvarez, also of Cuba, scored 24 for Al Burkan.

“Leading 2-0, we really made it difficult for ourselves,” said Khamis Esmaeel, the Surprise team owner.

“But thankfully, we got the job done in the end. Now, we just have to put this match behind us, take the positives from it and focus on the next match.”

In the NAS Cricket T10 tournament at Wombats Cricket Ground in Jebel Ali, Hadaf Sporting RAK defeated Mideast Metals by six wickets in a thrilling last ball finish.

Batting first, Mideast Metals put 125 for 4 on the board, thanks to Mian Zar Mohammed’s blazing 28-ball knock of 64 (7x4, 3x6). Hadaf started the chase well, scoring 30 runs from the opening over itself, as M Surjith (39: 18 balls, 1x4, 5x6) and Munawar Ali Khan Mohammed (27 not out: 21b, 2x4, 1x6) added 57 runs from 4.2 overs for the first wicket.

The Ras Al Khaimah team, however, still needed 14 runs for a win as they entered the final over and Mideast metals must have fancied their chances. But Vishak Sasikumar smashed the first two balls of the over by Irfan Ashraf for sixes to put Hadaf within two runs of victory. Though he was dismissed off the third ball and new batsman Godson Louie failed to score off the fourth, two singles from the following two deliveries got the job done for Hadaf.

In the earlier match of the night, DP World cruised to a comfortable 34 run win over The Cricketers Club. Batting first, DP World put 156 for 5, thanks to the blazing start from Sajad Gul (42: 11b, 2x4, 5x6) and Mohammed Rizwan Khan (53: 19b, 3x4, 6x6), who added 83 runs for the opening wicket in a mere four overs.

Mohammed Farhan came in later to smash a 13-ball 36 (3x4, 3x6) and the DP World bowlers then restricted The Cricketers Club to 122 for 6.

Cricket is making its first appearance in the NAS Sports Tournament and Omar Hayat, Director of Wombats, thanked the Organising Committee for accepting the sport into the NAS family in this Year of Tolerance.

“Cricket is a hugely popular sport among the expatriates from South Asia,” said Hayat. “To be part of the NAS Sports Tournament, which is one of the biggest event of its kind in the world, is a matter of pride for us.

“We are proud to be residents of this great nation, which is a symbol of diversity and acceptance, and, as we celebrate the Year of Tolerance in the UAE, we are proud to be a part of the NAS Sports Tournament, and we thank His Highness Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of Dubai Sports Council, for gifting this unique community sports initiative to the nation in the Holy Month of Ramadan.”

Organised by Dubai Sports Council under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of Dubai Sports Council, the NAS Sports Tournament is the biggest event of its kind in terms of participation and prize money, and has been held every year in the Holy Month of Ramadan since 2013.

The Tournament has seen more than 22,000 athletes take part over the past six seasons and the seventh season, being held under the slogan ‘Limitless Abilities’, will see more than 6,500 participants in action in 13 different events: Futsal, Volleyball, Padel, Fencing, Wheelchair Basketball, Futsal for People with Hearing Disabilities, NAS Night Challenge, the 5km and 10km Run, 75km Cycle Race, 3x3 Basketball, Jiu-Jitsu, Cricket and Snowboarding. There is a prize purse of Dhs6 million on offer for them.