Sheikh Mansoor fetes sponsors and partners of NAS Sports Tournament

Sheikh Mansoor Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Dubai Sports Council, has expressed his gratitude and appreciation to all national establishments, companies and institutions that sponsored the 12th edition of the Nad Al Sheba Sports Tournament, which marked another hugely successful year under the patronage of Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence, and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai.

The contributions of the sponsors right through the tournament and their active role in realising the goals of the largest sports tournament of its kind drew lavish praise.

The tournament has been instrumental in popularising diverse sporting disciplines amongst the community and enhancing the performance of local athletes by providing a stage for them to compete across a variety of sports alongside top professional and amateur athletes from around across the UAE and the world.

Sheikh Mansoor honoured a number of partners and sponsors from government departments, institutions, and companies, presenting each of them a special tournament shield. Partners and sponsors thus feted included Damac Properties, Al Tayer Motors, Dubai Municipality, the Roads and Transport Authority, and Dubai Duty Free.

Dr. Sultan Al Neyadi, Minister of State for Youth Affairs, also honoured a number of sponsors and partners associated with the tournament, including Insurance Market.ae, Tadawi Healthcare Group, Dubai Police General Command, Dubai Corporation for Ambulance Services, Pocari Sweat and Dubai Health.

On the final day of the tournament, Khalfan Belhoul, Vice Chairman of the Dubai Sports Council, also honoured supporters, sponsors and partners, including the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs in Dubai, DP World, and Dubai Sports Channel.

The tournament, in its 12th edition, witnessed a notable increase in the number of participants, topping 8,000 athletes, male and female, also recording a jump in the number of sporting disciplines across which competitions were held, at 11.

The total prize money offered during the tournament also rose to Dhs4.5 million. This included more than Dhs.4 million for winners of various sporting showpieces held over the three weeks of the tournament. The prize money was distributed in such a manner as to encourage all manner of sports, with Dhs1.5 million allocated for the volleyball competition, Dhs.764,000 for the various Padel events, Dhs500,000 for cycling, Dhs370,000 for tug-of-war, Dhs350,000 each for road races and the Obstacle Challenge, Dhs210,000 for wheelchair basketball, Dhs150,000 for Jiu-Jitsu and Dhs60,000 each for fencing, badminton and Laser Run.

The annual tournament presents a significant organisational, technical, and logistical challenge as events are held across several locations at the same time with the sprawling Nad Al Sheba Sports Complex as its focal point. Other major venues this year included the Meydan Racecourse along with the streets of Meydan within the Mohammed Bin Rashid City, and the Dubai Club for People of Determination in Al Ghusais.

The importance of a well-coordinated operation involving partners and sponsors from various departments and institutions is therefore critical to the success of the organising committee’s efforts. The safety and wellbeing of audiences is given paramount importance while at the same time providing an ideal environment for athletes to compete, win, and advance their skills.

The focus on developing home-grown talent is equally crucial and the tournament always makes it a point to provide excellent exposure to local competitors to enhance their technical skills and equip them with the big-stage experience for bigger challenges ahead. The tournament also promotes a sporting culture in society while raising awareness about the benefits of an active lifestyle for health, vitality, and the overall happiness of the community.

It is worth noting that, over the past 12 years, the Nad Al Sheba Sports Tournament has attracted nearly 60,000 athletes, both male and female, and amateurs and professionals, from within and outside the country. The competitions down the years have featured 99 different events under various sporting disciplines. The tournament has witnessed remarkable growth each year since starting off with just over 1,500 participants in the inaugural edition in 2013. The second edition hosted more than 3,000 athletes, while there were 4,000 participants in the third edition, 5,000 in the fourth, 6,000 in the sixth and 7,000 in the seventh year.

Even during the COVID outbreak, the eighth edition still attracted 2,500 participants, while the next one had more than 6,000 joining in. There were 5,000 participants in the tenth edition, while the eleventh edition registered a record 7,149 male and female athletes. That record was broken at this year’s edition as it witnessed more than 8,000 athletes competing across the 11 sporting disciplines.