Dubai: The second Nad Al Sheba (NAS) Ramadan tournament kicked off on Sunday under the patronage of Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of Dubai Sports Council.
In the presence of Shaikh Mansour Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the curtain was lifted on the six-sport tournament, which features competitions in futsal, volleyball, paddle tennis, squash, running and cycling.
Over 3,000 people will participate in the events, which boast a combined prize purse of Dh6 million. The tournament will run until July 19.
The opening ceremony involved a video narrating the development of sport in the UAE, followed by a light and dance show.
Futsal matches kicked-off immediately after the opening ceremony with The Joker beating Al Khawaneej 11-2, and E’saar blanking Expo 2020 4-0.
Ebrahim Abdul Malek, general secretary of the General Authority of Youth and Sports Affairs, congratulated the UAE’s leaders and its people on the occasion of Ramadan. He also extended his thanks to Shaikh Hamdan for his support of youth and sport in the UAE and credited the tournament with encouraging a healthier lifestyle.
Obaid Al Shamsi, member of the executive council and finance director of the UAE’s National Olympic Committee, praised the tournament for highlighting the spirit of Ramadan and recognised efforts taken to organise the events, dubbing it a mini Olympics.
Nasser Al Rahma, member of the organising committee, said the organisers had sought to keep pace with the aspirations of Shaikh Hamdan in improving the event year-on-year. One of the major objectives of the tournament was to enhance the physical and moral capacity of youth while giving an opportunity for all UAE residents to engage in sporting activities in a competitive atmosphere, he said.
