Ibrahim, Ahli enter NAS Padel Championship quarters along with Perpina and Barroso

Omar Ibrahim and Rashed Adil Ahli are through to the quarter-finals of the NAS Padel Championship Men’s Bronze Category after cruising past Mohammed Al Shaikh and Omar Gargash with a 6-2, 6-0 win.

Jordi Perpina and Ignacio Barroso also moved into the last eight of the Men’s Bronze Category, defeating siblings Khalfan Juma Belhoul and Khaled Juma Belhoul 6-3, 6-3.

In the Golden Category matches on Saturday night, Saeed Al Marri and Claudio Bobadilla defeated Javier Molina and Oscar Leiva 6-2, 6-3 and Cristian Donnet and Andre Delmar edged Roc Ballester Relat and Daniel Castillejo 6-3, 6-3 to book their place in the quarter-finals.

Organised by Dubai Sports Council, the NAS Sports Tournament has been one of the top sporting attractions during the Holy Month of Ramadan since 2013, and the tournament is back for its eighth season this year with competition in three different sports - padel, running and cycling. All three events are being organized in compliance with all COVID-19 precautionary measures and protocols, as well as other guidelines issued by relevant authorities. Dubai Police, Roads and Transport Authority of Dubai, Dubai Municipality and Dubai Corporation for Ambulance Services are the strategic partners for this year’s Nad Al Sheba Sports Tournament, while Dubai Duty Free, Pocari Sweat and Tecnotree have signed up as sponsors for the 8th season of the Tournament, which is one of the biggest events of its kind in terms of participation and prize money.

The NAS Padel Championship, which kicked off the eighth season of the NAS Sports Tournament on April 14, will continue until April 27, while the NAS Run will take place across two nights with the 10km Race scheduled for Wednesday, April 28, and the 5km for Thursday, April 29, while the 75km NAS Cycling Championships will take place across three nights from April 22 to 24.

Nominations for Sports Imprint Award close on Thursday: Nominations for the 2021 Sports Imprint Award, a joint initiative of the Dubai Sports Council and Watani Al Emarat Foundation that honours individuals, clubs and organisations for spreading positive values in society through humanitarian initiatives in the sports sector, will close on Thursday.

Clubs, sports institutions and individuals can file their nominations through the official website of Dubai Sports Council (https://www.dubaisc.ae/en/Pages/sportsAwards.aspx).

The Council and Watani Al Emarat Foundation launched the Sports Imprint Award in 2019 under the framework of Watani Al Emarat’s ‘Humanitarian Work Awards’, and the winners will be honoured this year on April 28. The awards Ceremony coincides with the Emirati Humanitarian Day, which is commemorated annually on the 19th day of the Holy Month of Ramadan to mark the anniversary of late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan’s passing away. Launched under the slogan ‘Responsibility for Humanitarian Action in the Sports Sector’, the Award recognise individual and organisations who, through community-based initiatives, serve the humanitarian and community objectives of sport and create a positive impact on the sporting sector.

The Landmark Group won the first Sports Imprint Award and Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, presented the Award to Micky Jagtiani, Founder Chairman of Landmark Group, for the Group’s efforts to raise awareness about diabetes through humanitarian initiatives like the ‘Beat Diabetes Walk’, which has been held in Dubai every year since 2009 and has since spread to five GCC countries. The Landmark Group also supports the International Diabetes Federation and the Emirates Diabetes Society.

To be eligible for the Award, individuals and organisations will have to submit papers highlighting initiatives that have had a tangible and positive benefit for the community in line with the Award and UAE’s strategy. The initiative shall be documented and should have been accomplished within the last three years or be under implementation during the submission of the candidacy.

The initiative needs to be in line with human values and ethics, and should have contributed to enriching the sports sector. It should also be consistent with the philosophy and objectives of the Award, and should have been documented or recognized by an official body.

Furthermore, the initiative shall not contradict human and sporting values and ethics; it shall have a positive impact on the sports sector; and the candidate shall not be subjected to a final penalty by a local or international body.

The objectives of the Award are to promote positive values in the UAE community through spreading the culture of humanitarian work in the sports sector; to encourage individuals, sport institutions and organisations in the sports sector to act as a model in doing business and giving; and to support the UAE Strategy and the UAE 2071 Vision towards fostering the values of tolerance, cohesion and respect through sports.