Abu Dhabi: Former England and Manchester United striker Andy Cole, tennis star Tim Henman and Robert Horry — a seven-time NBA champion — will be part of a month-long ‘SportFest’ programme at du Forum on Yas Island from July 10 to August 3.
Part of SummerFest Abu Dhabi — the emirate’s seasonal extravaganza — SportFest will feature an exciting schedule of sporting events, tournaments and coaching masterclasses with local, regional and international sporting stars. Open to a variety of age groups, the celebrity athlete-driven activations will see weekly winners awarded one-off masterclasses with genuine sporting giants.
Cole, part of the Red Devils’ historic treble-winning team of 1999 and the second-highest goal-scorer in English Premier League history, will be seen in action during SportFest from July 31 to August 3. The men-only five-a-side football competition, will be held nightly from 21:00 to 01:00, and is open only to players aged over 16. Entry costs Dh400 per team.
Henman, the English hero of countless Wimbledon classics, will serve up ‘Racket Week’ from July 13-15. Open to over-14s only, entry to the three-hour sessions — running nightly from 20:00 to 23:00 — costs Dh50 per participant. Competitions will include men’s doubles and mixed doubles.
Robert ‘Big Shot Rob’ Horry — a seven-time NBA champion and former Houston Rockets, Phoenix Suns, Los Angeles Lakers and San Antonio Spurs player — will be in Abu Dhabi from July 24-27 as part of the extravaganza. The men’s-only basketball event, running nightly from 20:00 to 00:00, is open to players aged over 14 only. Entry costs Dh400 per team.
“The SportFest format has been designed so that men and women can keep fit and play sports with true sporting legends during Ramadan evenings,” said Sultan Al Muhairi, manager, SummerFest Abu Dhabi. “With coaching and competitions over the first two days, the top individuals or teams from each sport will win a personal coaching session with some of the biggest names in sport.”
The mixed martial art of jiu-jitsu will usher in the festival, with the UAE’s world brown belt champion Faisal Al Ketbi and Mohammad Al Qubaisi (blue belt) demonstrating how to perfect double-leg take-downs and other signature moves during an Intermediate Clinic from July 10-12. Entry to the two-hour sessions, to be held from 21:00 to 23:00, is only open to those over 12. Entry costs just Dh50 per participant.
