Regardless of gender, nationality or age, UAE residents tomorrow are set to celebrate the first-ever National Sports Day — a country-wide day of sport promoting the importance of a healthy and active lifestyle.
The UAE National Sports Day, which will kick off the celebrations ahead of the 44th National Day on December 2, is themed UAE Unites Us and aims to encourage people to work towards a happier, healthy nation.
Sports groups, schools, fitness groups and companies are hosting hundreds of events that promise family-friendly fun with everything from bouncy castles, dancing classes and bowling to more arduous boot camps.
All the emirates have been encouraged to post their events schedules on a singular website, Uaesportsday.ae, to inform residents what fitness activities are happening in their neighbourhood.
Burj bicycling and street basketball
In Abu Dhabi, the line-up includes a major fitness event at Zayed Sports City. Stadium organisers are hosting a National Sports Festival between 3pm and 10pm, boasting more than 20 free-for-all activities. Group workout sessions will include the Primal fitness event and Workout of the Day, plus ladies-only weight loss, Zumba and yoga sessions. Bowling, billiards and table tennis are all part of the fun. Participants can also gear up for the more demanding Spinning Marathon, which is suitable for all fitness levels.
In Dubai, highlights include Italian multiple Guinness World Record holder Vittorio Brumotti attempting to scale the stairs of the Burj Al Arab on his bicycle, while Mohammad Bilal and Osman Safi — both Ironman veterans — will hit the treadmills for a 24-hour non-stop run in a Guinness World Record bid.
There is also the BeWell Tour, a biking event taking place between 6pm and 9pm that is expected to draw 500 participants to the Dubai AutoDrome, while the UAE National Sports Day Pursuit Race, organised by the Dubai Offshore Sailing Club, will see about 100 rowers take their yachts around an event course in Umm Suqeim 1 between 5pm and 7pm.
The Office of the Crown Prince of Dubai will host a yoga event from 8am until 3pm at Nad Al Sheba. Later in the day, the Dubai Athletics United Run — a 11.5km inter-club race — will start from Sunset Mall Jumeirah 3 at 6.30pm, which will see participants pounding the streets on the beach track towards Burj Al Arab before heading back to Sunset Mall.
The Golden Eagles Martial Arts Club will host a Kids Kung Fu event, helping children experience the Chinese ancient art at the Optimal Fitness Gym at Dubai Studio City for one hour, which will kick off at 5.30pm.
Also doing its bit to promote healthy living, the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority will organise football tournaments throughout the day at Wasl Club 2 from 4pm until 10pm.
Elsewhere, the Dibba Al Hisn Sports Festival will host a number of competitions on the day from football, tug of war and table tennis to pool tournaments. Organisers in Ras Al Khaimah anticipate more than 1,000 people taking part in a host of events scheduled between 7am and 10.15pm, including football, basketball, volleyball, a pedestrian marathon, CrossFit, swimming and more.
Not for the faint-hearted, there will also be a men-only Arm-Wrestling National Day Championship at the Al Taawon Club in Ras Al Khaimah from 4.30pm, with a chance to win cash prizes.
The Women Sports Department at Sharjah Ladies Club is hosting a street basketball event between 6pm and 8pm. Streetball, or street basketball, is a variation of basketball typically played on outdoor courts featuring significantly less formal structure and enforcement of the game’s rules. About 50 women are set to take part in the event at Al Seef.
Also in Sharjah, the Emirates BodyBuilding Federation hosts its National Day Power Lifting Championship — a men-only event at the University of Sharjah from 5pm with cash prizes and certificates for the strongest bodybuilders.
The 7EmiratesRun, in partnership with Al Jalila Foundation, will bring together the nation in a charity cross-country run that will see participants cover 575 kilometres in 12 days. The event that started on November 21 ends on December 2 and plans to raise funds to help children get back on their feet. For more info, visit 7emiratesrun.com.
Serious message
While the National Sports Day promises to be a fun day out, it sends a serious message. The UAE, along with GCC states, has a rising obesity problem and a growing burden of type 2 diabetes, affiliated with a poor diet and inactive lifestyle.
According to a report titled the Global Burden of Disease Study 2013, by the University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, more than 66 per cent of men and 60 per cent of women in the UAE are already overweight or obese while data from the International Diabetes Federation to mark World Diabetes Day in November last year showed that there were 803,900 diabetics in the UAE, about 19 per cent of the population.
The sports day is the latest in a series of drives to improve the health of the nation.
“This country and its leaders are taking the position that not only is sport important to an individual’s well-being, it is critical to the long-term health of the UAE,” says Barry Bremner, General Manager, Zayed Sports City. “It is imperative that people recognise the different ways to participate in sport and decide which ones fit into their lifestyle. The National Sports Festival will showcase this philosophy.”
Universal language
Aref Al Awani, General Secretary, Abu Dhabi Sports Council, describes sport as a “universal language” and says the National Sports Day will be a celebration of the UAE’s “inclusiveness and multiculturalism”.
“We look forward to a great turnout and hope that the entire Abu Dhabi community participates in the different sports sessions, which offer something for everyone.”
The Dubai Sports Council (DSC) has called for participation from all citizens to make the UAE National Sports Day celebrations a success.
“This day is for the entire UAE,” says Saeed Hareb, General Secretary, DSC. “This is a special day and it is the moral responsibility of each and every citizen to participate and make this day special for the UAE.”
The Dubai International Marine Club will act as headquarters for the Dubai events with DSC setting up its studio on site to cover as many events as possible. “We had a presentation of more than 55 events for this special day, but we chose only 44 in keeping with the 44th anniversary of the UAE National Day,” says Hareb.
Further details on events can be obtained at Dubaisportscouncil.ae
