Balanced draw for wheelchair basketball with participation of ten teams

• Saudi Arabia defeats Australia in Padel Teams Championship

• Damac Properties is a diamond sponsor of the tournament

DUBAI: The competition for the Obstacle Challenge Race (OCR) will kick off tonight (Thursday) as part of the activities of the 12th edition of the ‘Nad Al Sheba Sports Tournament’.

By far, the largest sports competition of its kind launched and sponsored by His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, and held annually during the holy month of Ramadan, at the Nad Al Sheba Sports Complex, the event is conducted under the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Dubai Sports Council, under the slogan “Limitless Capabilities”.                                             

The Obstacle Challenge Race is a timed challenge to overcome obstacles, where participants run a distance of 400 metres, during which they overcome a total of eleven obstacles.

Competitors must finish the race as quickly as possible, with an overall time limit of five minutes. Each participant is allowed to participate only once during the qualifying days. If the competitor crosses any obstacle for any reason, he will be disqualified from the race. Competitors are allowed to attempt to try to cross a single obstacle only twice before it is considered, and if he is unable to cross it, a time penalty will be applied on him.

The (OCR)  consists of two categories, namely the Open category for men and the Open category for women. All citizens and residents of the UAE will be allowed to participate in the competitions with the best 20 men women possessing the fastest time during qualifying making it to the finals.

Balanced draw

Menawhile, the Organizing Committee conducted the draw ceremony for the Wheelchair Basketball Championship to be held at the Dubai Club for People of Determination.

The ten participating teams have been divided into two groups with defending champions Dubai Police joined by Sharjah Police, the Department of Finance, Dubai Courts and the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) all clubbed in Group One, while the second group includes teams representing the General Directorate of Identity and Foreigners Affairs in Dubai, Dubai Municipality, Mai Dubai, Dubai Corporation for Ambulance Services and the Community Development Authority.

The round-robin stage of the competition is scheduled to commence from Sunday with four group matches being worked out. Dubai Police will meet the Dubai Courts team at 9.30 pm, the General Directorate of Identity and Foreigners Affairs will play the Dubai Corporation for Ambulance Services at 10.10 pm, Sharjah Police team will cross swords with the Department of Finance at 10.50 pm, and Dubai Municipality team will meet Mai Dubai at 11.30 pm.

DAMAC as Diamond sponsor

DAMAC Properties has announced its Diamond Sponsorship of the 12th Nad Al Sheba Sports Tournament 2025, reaffirming its commitment to supporting government initiatives and promoting sports and fitness in the UAE and the Gulf region.

Known for their community based initiatives, Ali Sajwani, General Manager of Operations, Finance and Hospitality at DAMAC Properties, said: “Sports and fitness play a pivotal role in building strong and cohesive communities, and we are proud to support an initiative that motivates individuals to push their limits and strive for excellence. Our partnership with the Nad Al Sheba Sports Tournament reflects DAMAC’s commitment to supporting initiatives that enrich people’s lives and enhance the well-being of society.”

This sponsorship follows DAMAC’s announcement of its partnership with the UAE Padel Federation to support the spread of padel in the region and create new opportunities for future generations of athletes. DAMAC was also an active partner in the latest edition of the ‘Dubai Games’ for the second year in-a-row, reinforcing its leading role in supporting sports and community development in the region. DAMAC continues to invest in initiatives that inspire individuals to adopt a healthier lifestyle and actively participate in community events.

Saudi Arabia side-step Australia in Padel

The competitions of the second day of the group stage in the Nad Al Sheba Padel Championship resulted in Saudi Arabia defeating Australia 2-1 in a marathon match.

Australia started strong with Dominic Bechard and Marius Zilba defeating Saudi Arabia’s Qassim Obaidan and Nawaf Al Qadi 6-3, 6-4. But, Saudi Arabia bounced back to draw level with Faisal Al Rabdi and Abdul Rahman Al Zam defeating Tim Brown and Ross Taylor 6-3, 7-6.

In the crucial deciding third match, Sattam Al Shahrani and Hussein Al Maraj had to dig in deep for a hard-fought 5-7, 6-4, 7-6 win against Vuk Veljkovic and Jono Breki to triumph.

In other matches, the Netherlands overcame Kuwait 2-1, while Iran blanked Bahrain 3-0.

The running race will be held on March 8, while the badminton championships will be worked out on March 8 and 9. The wheelchair basketball championship will start on March 9 and continue until March 19.

The shooting and running championship (Laser Run) will be held on March 10 and 11, while the tug-of-war championship will start on March 11 and continue till March 18. The cycling race will be held on March 15 and 16, while the volleyball championship competitions will start on March 12 and continue till March 20.

The organizing committee continues to receive registration requests to participate in the running, cycling, shooting with running (Laser Run), badminton, tug-of-war and obstacle course championships, through the tournament’s approved electronic system on the official website www.nasst.ae.