Swimmers gearing up for Fazza Freediving Championship

The pre-tournament training sessions for the 14th edition of Fazza Championship for Freediving, organised by the Hamdan Bin Mohammed Heritage Center (HHC), begin on Sunday, at the Hamdan Sports Complex in Dubai.

 The training will continue for four consecutive days until the start of the main tournament, which will be held over three days, from March 5–7 at the same venue. The local and international participants will train to acclimatize in underwater life.

 Souad Ibrahim Darwish, HHC Director of Championships, explained: “the Fazza Championship for Freediving is a heritage sport, designed to embody the traditional ways of diving in the UAE and the Arabian Gulf. Divers do not use any tools or underwater equipment but rely instead on traditional diving techniques used by early mariners in the region.”

She added the HHC, which has been organising the unique heritage sport for the past 14 years, has institutionalized and made innovations in the conduct of staging the annual competition. Smart technology is now used in registrations, monitoring and broadcasting instantly the results of the tournament.

Hamad Al Rahoumi, Head of the Fazza Championship Freediving Committee, said that this year’s tournament would be another record-breaking one, with previous winners and new participants expected to set new records in holding their breath underwater.

The tournament will also display world-class standards and the winners will be rewarded with generous prizes.

 Rahoumi added: “There will be medical examinations before the start of the tournament to ensure that no illegal stimulants are used. Emergency teams and rescuers have already been assigned to all the participants to ensure their health and safety.”

UAE juniors team’s Mohammed Al Marzouqi had won the juniors category last year. Hamad Al Marzouqi won second place while Saudi Arabia’s Fares Babasil won the third place.

Oman’s Ibrahim Al Sulaitni emerged winner in the Nationals and GCC category. Kuwait’s Hassan Ali Al Sharrah finished second while Saudi swimmer Bassam Al Farsi took third spot.

Poland’s Mateusz Malina won first place in the professionals category. Goran Colak took second while Vilano Zanchi came third.

The Hamdan Bin Mohammed Heritage Centre is the foremost resource and the most credible reference on the conservation and propagation of national heritage in the UAE. Its vision focuses on deepening the sense of national identity among the younger generation of Emiratis and promoting Emirati culture, values and traditions at both a regional and international level.