UAE national team defeated Qatar in a thrilling final to clinch the inaugural Gulf Padel Cup at the Nas Al Sheba Sports Tournament in Dubai on Sunday.
Held under the patronage of Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Executive Council, and organised by the Dubai Sports Council, the NAS Sports Tournament has been one of the top sporting attractions during the Holy Month of Ramadan since 2013.
Sheikh Saeed Bin Maktoum Bin Juma Al Maktoum, President of the UAE Padel Association, gave away the trophy to the winners UAE team, in the presence of Sheikh Rashid Bin Ammar Bin Humaid Al Nuaimi.
The presentation ceremony was also attended by Khalifa Yousef Khoury, First Vice-President of the UAE Padel Association, Ismail Al Hashimi, Second Vice-President of the association, and members of the Board of Directors of the UAE Padel Association.
Omar Behrouzian and Abdullah Ahli outlasted Abdullah Al Hajji and Mohammed Abdullah 4-6, 6-3, 5-1, before Mohammed Al Janahi and Hamad Al Janahi triumphed 6-3, 2-6, 6-4 against Jaber Al Mutawa and Mohammed Al Kaanji.
Kuwait came in third place after beating Bahrain 2-1. Oman’s national team won the women’s title with an easy win over the UAE in the final.
The organising committee of the Nad Al Sheba Sports Tournament has added the Gulf Padel Cup — a GCC Men’s Team Championship — to this year’s event for the first time.
In the volleyball championship, Fohood Zabeel edged past Bin Thani 3-2 (22-25, 25-21, 25-21, 25-20).
With this win, Fohood Zabeel's team topped the standings in Group A with five points.
In the second match, the Surprise blanked HMS 3-0 (25-21, 25-16, 26-24). Demonte Martinez played a key role in the team’s victory and was later named Player of the Match.
The Surprise are in second spot with four points. They could have matched Fohood Zabeel in the points table but lost against Bin Thani earlier, pushing them down.
The NAS Run, starting on Thursday, will feature races in different categories across two distances — 5km and 10km — and it is open to all men and women living in the UAE, of any nationality or ability.
On Saturday, April 16, the Spartan Nas Night Sprint returns to the NAS sports complex, where in a 5km solo night run, the participants will face 20 hardcore obstacles.
Saeed Hareb and Mona Hassan Sadoun pose for a picture after signing the agreement.
Meanwhile, Al Tayer Motors, one of the main sponsors of the tournament, is offering four Ford cars to the fans.
Al Tayer Motors, continuing its partnership in the ninth season of the Nas Al Sheba Sports Tournament, presented the latest cars to be distributed as free prizes through open raffles to the audience.
The sponsorship agreement was signed at the headquarters of the Dubai Sports Council in the presence of Saeed Hareb, Secretary-General of the Dubai Sports Council and Chairman of the Organizing Committee of the session, and Mona Hassan Sadoun, Vice President – Customer Service and Marketing, Al Tayer Motors.
Hareb affirmed his pride in the continued presence of Al Tayer Motors as the main sponsor of the tournament since its inception, which bodes well with the tournament’s position and the company’s keenness to support sports and healthy lifestyles while rewarding NAS's loyal audience and families who keep the enthusiasm of players high with encouragement and motivation.
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 Tadawi Medical Center, Emirates Foundation (Takatof), Dubai Duty Free, Pocari Sweat, Palazzo Versace Hotel Dubai and TecnoTree have signed up as sponsors for the ninth season of the event, which is one of the biggest events of its kind in terms of participation and prize money.