Beach Soccer World Cup to headline sporting boom in Dubai this week
Ten international championships out of 25 events set to treat sports fans
Dubai: The Fifa Beach Soccer World Cup UAE 2024 Dubai tops this list of 10 major international sporting events to be held in the Emirate during the course of this week.
Organised in cooperation with the Dubai Sports Council, a total of 25 sporting events in Dubai will witness participation of more than 15,000 men and women international and domestic athletes.
The Beach Soccer World Cup, scheduled to be held from February 15-25, is a culmination of all major global beach soccer powers across the competing for the prestigous title.
As many as 15 teams from all continents will join hosts the UAE in this edition. Europe and Asia have four teams each, while South America and North America have three teams apiece and a further two teams from Africa.
The hosts UAE have been placed Group A alongside Egypt, Italy and the USA, while Oman is joined by former multiple champions Brazil, Portugal and Mexico in Group D. Group B consists of Spain, Iran, Tahiti and Argentina, while Group C is made up of Japan, Senegal, Colombia and Belarus.
The championship beach soccer stadium, located in Dubai Design District, is now ready to host fans from different countries across the world. The especially-made stadium perched next to the Dubai Water Canal can accommodate more than 4,000 spectators.
Strongest competition
Saeed Hareb, Secretary General of Dubai Sports Council (DSC) & Deputy Chairman of the Higher Organising Committee of the Fifa Beach Soccer World Cup 2024, said: “We welcome the participating teams & fans of multi-nationalities to watch the matches at this beautiful stadium, which accommodates more than 3,500 spectators, and constructed particularly for this Championship. The championship is the strongest beach soccer competition in the globe in which 16 of the strongest beach soccer national teams are participation. It is the second time for the Emirate of Dubai to host the Championship after the distinctive organization of the event in 2009.”
The two-week Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships will begin with the women’s WTA 1000 level tournament. Boasting a line-up of nine of the best players in the world, including world No 1 Iga Swiatek from Poland, No 2 Aryna Sabalenka, who recently successfully defended her Australian Open crown and world No 3 Coco Gauff of the USA. The men’s competition will be led by three of the top-10 in the world, namely No 3 Daniil Medvedev, No 5 Andrey Rublev and No 9 Hubert Hurkacz.
The Dubai Polo Gold Cup, a 20-goal handicap competition, which is considered one of the most important ing the Dubai Polo Series, is also being played this week.
Preparations complete
The Organising Committee of the World Professional Park and Street Skateboarding Tour has completed preparations to host the unique event that has already attracted more than 500 male and female athletes from various countries competing in Dubai with an eye on qualification to the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
The second edition of the DP World ILT20 will culminate with the finals to be played at the Dubai Cricket Stadium on February 17. This edition had six teams battling it out to decide three qualifiers who are now vying for the final. Six teams are participating in one of the main highlights on the UAE Polo calendar that will conclude with the final at the Al Habtoor Polo Club and Resort, on February 24.
The prestigious 14th Fazza International Para Athletics Championship, the Dubai 2024 WPA Grand Prix, is already being held at the Dubai Club for People of Determination. There are nearly 600 athletes from 71 countries from across the globe participating in this opening round of the scheduled seven Grand Prix culminating with the World Championships in Kobe, Japan.
Also scheduled to conclude on Thursday (February 15) is the Dubai Duty Free SB20 World Sailing Championships at the Dubai Offshore Sailing Club. The competition had 48 teams comprising of 12 nationalities participate in four races marking the beginning of the overall championships.