Some of the strongest and fittest talent from across the world was on offer with athletes from the UAE matching those from Russia and the USA when the curtains came down on the Obstacle Challenge Race (OCR) at the 11th Nad Al Sheba (NAS) Sports Tournament.
Nikita Khaydukov of Russia topped the overall classification with a time of 1 minute and 59 seconds, leaving the UAE’s Abdulla Fuad and Mohammed Al Musalhi in second and third places with close times of 2:04 and 2:05 minutes, respectively.
In fourth place overall was a second Russian athlete, Sam Kokotliv with a time of 2:05 minutes, followed by Mohammed Al Hassani of the UAE with a time of 2:06 and American Jessell Boseman in sixth place (2:07).
Nikita Khaudukov’s strong finish overall was also enough for topping the UAE Residents category of the competition leaving teammate Sam Kokotliv in second, while Jessell Boseman came in third.
Competing on the seventh day of the event, Nikita Khaydukov completed the course spread out over 400 metres at an average speed of 12.2 kph that translates into a pace of 4.55 minutes per kilometre.
Abdulla Fuad, who had finished with a second-best timing of 2:04 in the overall classification, walked away with the UAE Nationals award for his performance, while teammates Mohammed Al Musalhi and Mohammed Al Hassani had to stay content with second and third places, respectively.
Denmark’s Ida Mathilde Rubens was simply too good in the women’s category as she clocked the best time of 2:19 minutes. The Dane was chased down by a trio of Russian athletes – Alisa Petrova (2:27), Olga Kopeiko (2:37) and Aleksandra Shevchenko (2:48). The pick of the lot was UAE’s Amal Murad as she held her own to finish in fifth place with a commendable time of 3 minutes flat.
Ida Mathilde Rubens’ time ensured she completed the course at 10.43 kph that translates into 5.45 minutes per kilometre.
A total of 700 athletes took part in this competition that making its debut at the annual Nad Al Sheba Sports Tournament.
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DP World backs its promise
Abdulla Bin Damithan, CEO and Managing Director of DP World GCC, confirmed that Dubai Ports World is keen to continue its partnership with the annual Nad Al Sheba Sports Tournament in order to achieve the goals of the tournament that is launched and sponsored by His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and President of the Executive Council.
“As a global leader in logistics, DP World understands the power of connecting communities, and we are proud to be the Diamond partner for this inspiring event. Our long-standing support for NAS, now in its eleventh year, reflects our deep belief in the ability of sports to connect people, bring positive energy to communities and promote healthy living,” Bin Damithan observed.
“The Nad Al Sheba Sports Tournament is an important platform for supporting our nation’s athletes, who have an opportunity to compete against top international talent, and we are honoured to play a role in the success of the event,” he added.
Wheelchair Basketball enthralls
Hot Favourites Dubai Municipality shrugged off its opening loss to secure a hard-fought and entertaining 41-40 win over Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) on the second day of the Wheelchair Basketball being held as part of the 11th Nad Al Sheba (NAS) Sports Tournament.
Egged on by a full crowd at the Dubai Club for People of Determination in Al Ghusais, Dubai Municipality showed all signs of resilience and verve as they match their opponents at every move.
The former champions were not off to the best of starts as they trailed RTA by seven points at 14-21. But they hung in there and with the unity of players like Mohammad Al Zarouni, Walid Shahat, Youssef Saudi, Rashid Al Zeyoudi and Ahmed Al Shehhi, they powered their way into the match.
Never ones to give up, the RTA team fought hard and well in an attempt to keep their hopes alive in the competition following their opening round loss to Dubai Police. However, Dubai Municipality – who had lost to the Dubai Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship – hung in there and won the encounter by the barest of margins and keep their hopes alive for the knockout stages.
In the second match involving teams from Group A, the Dubai Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship team maintained their unbeaten record with a 27-12 win against Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA). Dubai Federal Authority enjoyed a slender 12-9 cushion at the end of the opening period. They started the second period well and kept a strict vigil in the defence line to win 27-12 while allowing their opponents to score just three points.
The Dubai Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship had opened with a stunning 39-32 victory against Dubai Municipality on Wednesday night.
Dubai Courts also entered the winners’ column with a 30-14 verdict against Mai Dubai to throw things open in Group B. Mai Dubai had started off with a 28-16 win against the Community Development Authority.
But they seemed to be lagging in all departments of the game as Dubai Courts were off to a quick start while leading 15-4 at the end of the first period. The team representing Dubai Courts then kept up the pressure to win easily for a helpful first victory in the competition.
After leading 12-4 at the first quarter, the Al Bustan Center and Residence was the other team to pick up maximum points following their 24-8 win against Community Development Authority, who have now crashed to two losses in as many games.
On Saturday, Dubai Courts will meet Al Bustan Center and Residence, while Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) will cross will take on the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) team.
In Group B, Mai Dubai will meet the Dubai Corporation for Ambulance Services the fourth and final game on the night will be a confrontation between Dubai Municipality and Dubai Police General Headquarters.
Volleyball to continue
The volleyball tournament continues, as two matches will be held today, Saturday, March 23. In the first match, Al Jawareh will clash with HMS at 9.15 pm, while Zabeel 2 team will take on The King at 11.15 p.m.
A total of eight teams are participating in the volleyball and these have been divided into two groups. The best from each group will advance to next week’s knockout stages.
Launched and supported by His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Executive Council, the 11th Ramadan Sports Tournament will conclude with the volleyball final on March 31.
Held under the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman Dubai Sports Council, the largest sports tournament of its kind during the holy month of Ramadan at the NAS Sports Complex,is conducted under the slogan “Limitless Capabilities.”
Organised under the auspices of the Dubai Sports Council (DSC), this year’s sports fiesta has nine different sportsdisciplines, including Volleyball, Padel, Jiu-Jitsu, Fencing, Wheelchair Basketball, Road Race, Cycling, Tug-of-War andan Obstacle Challenge.
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