Dubai: The third edition of the CBD Youth Athletics Championships will get under way with the first of three preliminary rounds in Dubai this weekend.

The preliminary qualifiers will be held at the Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT) Men’s College, Academic City, on November 8 and 9 and November 22 and 23.

The semi-finals will be held on January 18, while the finals will be on February 22.

This year, a new under-11 age category has been added for both boys and girls, while continuing with the under-14 and under-17 categories for boys and under-14 and under-16 for girls.

All participants have to be registered at a public or private school in Dubai and need to furnish a medical clearance prior to enrolment.

This is the third year that Commercial Bank of Dubai (CBD) has collaborated with the Dubai Sports Council (DSC) under the patronage of Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman, DSC.

“The competition has grown in size and scope since its beginning in 2011 and we are expecting more than 2,000 students from nearly 90 schools to participate this year,” said Murray Sims, general manager, Personal Banking Group, CBD. “Not only have this event succeeded in establishing itself as the main athletics event for youth in Dubai, it also embodies the vision of the Dubai Government.”

Ali Omar, Director of Sports Development, DSC, added: “The overall aim of the tournament is to elevate the quality of sports in Dubai, by nurturing teamwork between various government departments, corporate sponsors and other partners. Ultimately this will help Dubai’s athletes to achieve greater success on the international stage, and learn the value of fair play, the rewards of intensive preparation and the benefits of teamwork.”

Touted as Dubai’s biggest athletics competition to spot talented young athletes, there will be competitions in 60m, 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m, 1,500m, relays, long jump, high jump and shot put.

This year, the championship will see the introduction of online registration that is believed to be a first in the region. All students are registered online by their schools and the athletes’ chest numbers will carry barcodes that will be used for bona-fide verification at the venue on event day.

‘Maher’, a desert cat, will continue being the mascot of the competition due to its inspiring attributes of being fast, intelligent and agile — qualities that it shares with athletes.

Further information is available at www.cbdyouthathleticscompetition.com.