Gulf Today, Staff Reporter
The Higher Organizing Committee of NAS Sports Tournament has ratified the programme of the various competitions of the 12th edition of the Tournament.
NAS Sports Tournament will be held under the patronage of Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, the Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense of the UAE, and organized as per the directives of Sheikh Mansoor Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, the Chairman of Dubai Sports Council.
NAS Sports Tournament is the biggest of its kind and the most eminent community sports event that takes place at Nad Al-Sheba Sports Complex during the Holy Month of Ramadan.
Participants in the 12th edition of the Tournament will compete in 11 disciplines including volleyball, padel, jujitsu, fencing, wheelchair basketball, running, cycling, tug of war, obstacle challenge. The two competitions added to the tournament are badminton and shooting.
The tournament aims to provide a comprehensive sports platform that brings together athletes in various sports, comprising people of determination, and different classes of society, allowing them all to enjoy unique opportunity to exercise sports during the Holy Month of Ramadan in distinctive & competitive atmospheres that enhance the spirit of interaction & positivity and cement the concept of sport as a way of life.
Hassan Al Mazrouei, the Tournament’s Manager, emphasized the Organizing Committee's keenness to select sports competitions that conform to the promising sports and community goals, set by Sheikh Hamdan, and overseen by Sheikh Mansoor.
He explained that over the past 11 editions, the tournament has contributed to the development of several sports games, and it has also presented various competitions that enriched the sports sector and contributed to the enhancement of the status of various sports & competitions, which are followed by fans in UAE and overseas, and held with distinctive participation of elite of the best ranked global athletes.
He added that the increase in the number of sports competitions and the attracting of further amateurs and professionals to participate in the tournament reflect the eminent & growing role of the event in supporting the sports sector and boosting Dubai’s sports community.
“These factors also confirm the annual dramatic increase in the numbers of events & participants, as the Tournament has witnessed, throughout the last versions, remarkable participation of 51 thousand amateur and professional athletes from UAE and overseas who competed in 88 competitions of various sports.
He remarked: "We are pleased to raise the number of sports in the 12th edition of the Tournament into 11 sports, including many Olympic and popular sports. The Organizing Committee is keen to add Olympic games with international participation, providing players with valuable opportunities to compete versus international athletes and acquire new experiences. We will soon extend invitations to athletes and teams to participate in the various competitions of the tournament."