Dubai: Budding and established tennis players will have an opportunity to showcase their skills on the international stage as Dubai Sports Council announced the launch of the Dubai Open for Tennis Academies Tournament in association with Sania Mirza Academy tennis and UAE Tennis Federation. The initiative, to be held from October 28 to January 14, 2024, is expected to attract over 400 talented tennis players and includes different categories for youngsters and adults, men and women.
Saeed Hareb, Secretary-General of Dubai Sports Council said: “Sania Mirza is a friend of Dubai Sports Council. This is not her first cooperation with the Council. She lives permanently in Dubai and is considered a member of the community whose presence we are proud of. We salute her efforts in launching the initiative to spread tennis and benefit from her great expertise and experience to find new generations of tennis players.
“Dubai Open for Tennis Academies is a pioneering initiative to attract and discover talented people and develop their skills, and contributes to motivating and encouraging athletes to develop their careers in the field of sports. Dubai Sports Council is keen to support such pioneering initiatives because talented people represent the basic foundation of the future, and the Council. We are keen to cooperate with international stars and private sector organisers from inside and outside the country to launch initiatives and organise tournaments that contribute to spreading the culture of sports and physical activity. In Dubai, we have an environment that encourages and supports investment in various fields, Sports investment has proven to be the perfect choice for the stars, and many stars have achieved great successes from their investments in Dubai in various sports, and we hope that Sania will achieve great success in her project to discover and develop talent in line with her love for Dubai and the UAE,” added Hareb.
Historic moment
Alia Bujsem, member of the Board of Directors of UAE Tennis Federation, said: “We are pleased to always cooperate with Dubai Sports Council to achieve more successes, and this tournament comes to enhance cooperation and complete the course of tournaments that were organised with the Council and witnessed a wide participation of players, Emiratis and residents, and this tournament will enhance the balance of the players participating in the points that will be recorded in their classification in the UAE Tennis Federation, which has been linked to the classification of the International Federation, so that the points are equalised to transfer from the local classification to the international classification, so all participants in the tournament will be winners.”
Indian tennis star Mirza said: “This initiative represents a historic moment for the world of tennis in Dubai and shows the city’s unwavering commitment to promoting and nurturing tennis talents. Dubai’s interest in developing the sports sector in general and tennis in particular is constantly increasing and has become much stronger than before.
“This initiative is a testament to the city’s dedication to nurturing talent and creating a lasting legacy in the world of tennis. The tournament comes in line with the initiative it launched before to train Emirati players, Where my team will supervise the tournament competitions under my guidance to select the best promising national talents in it, and then work to guide them and provide them with the necessary support and training to compete and reach international podiums, in cooperation with Dubai Sports Council and UAE Tennis Federation, so that this cooperation constitutes a great force dedicated to nurturing and discovering tennis talents in Dubai.
National Day celebrations
“Dubai Open for Tennis Academies” will include both junior and senior categories, providing players of all ages with a unique platform to showcase their skills on the international stage. The first season of the junior category of the championship is scheduled to end during the month of December, coinciding with the celebrations of the National Day of the United Arab Emirates, and this is a great conclusion to be a scene of excellence and patriotism in tennis,” Sania added.
The participants in the tournament compete in seven different categories: under 12, 14 and 18 years old for boys and girls, men’s singles open, women’s singles, men’s doubles and women’s doubles. The first season of the tournament will last from October 28 until January 14, 2024. The second season during the period from September 5, 2024 until January 11, 2025.
Registration to participate in the tournament will start at 8am on September 8 until October 10. Players can participate in the tournament by registering by visiting the official website of the tournament https://www.dota.ae, and completing the registration form on the site. Information and assistance in the process can also be obtained by contacting the tournament support team at info@dota.ae.
