First CBD youth athletics championship from today

Dubai: The Commercial Bank of Dubai (CBD) Athletics Championships for Youth will take place at Dubai Police Officers' Club today until Saturday under the patronage of Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of Dubai Sports Council (DSC).

More than 1,000 participants from 42 schools are to compete in 25 competitions arranged by Dubai School Agency and the UAE Athletics Association, with a prize fund of Dh1 million, split among successful schools, making it one of the most lucrative school athletics events in the region.

New talents

Yaqoub Yousuf Hassan, the deputy executive chairman for CBD said: "We have exerted common efforts with DSC to organise this Championship. We back students of many nationalities and abilities to enhance their lifestyles, physical fitness, understanding of fair play and develop opportunities for the youth to enter the sport professionally.

"We are currently preparing to organise the first edition. We will upgrade the level of work in the future to discover new talents who may represent the UAE in international events. The first edition's topic is ‘Endeavour to Attain Excellence', driven from the thought of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, which aims to boost the spirit of competition and motivate participants to attain victories."

Ahmad Al Sharif, secretary general of DSC said: "The Championship is a model for promising co-operation between DSC and the national private sector to enhance the level of sports and provide our society with distinctive service. It reflects recommendations of the Individual Games Forum, arranged by DSC."

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