ADIB Cup, Dubai Basketball, Asian Games: UAE sports fix

Dubai: From football and basketball to cricket and boxing, the UAE continues to make its mark on the sporting map, with plenty of action taking place across the country and beyond.

We’ve got you covered with the latest news, results and stories from across the UAE.

The UAE’s top-flight clubs returned to competitive action over the weekend as the 2026-27 ADIB Cup got underway.

Al Nasr made the perfect start with a 3-1 victory over United at Al Maktoum Stadium. Kevin Agudelo opened the scoring before United levelled through Shavy Babicka, but Ajdin Hrustic restored Al Nasr’s lead from the penalty spot before Wesley Delgado headed home a third.

There was also a comeback win for Al Wasl, who recovered from two goals down to beat Al Ain 3-2 in a five-goal thriller at Zabeel Stadium.

Ajman produced another dramatic turnaround, coming from 2-0 down to defeat Sharjah 3-2, while Bani Yas began their campaign with a 3-1 victory over Al Dhafra.

In the Abu Dhabi derby, Al Jazira claimed a 1-0 win over Al Wahda, with Talisca scoring the only goal of the game.

Dubai Basketball are preparing for another landmark moment as they begin their second EuroLeague campaign.

The Dubai-based side will open their European season against Spanish giants Real Madrid at Coca-Cola Arena on Thursday, September 24.

The fixture comes after Dubai Basketball competed in the inaugural EuroLeague SuperCup in Abu Dhabi last weekend, where they narrowly lost 98-95 to Real Madrid in the opening game before the Spanish side went on to win the tournament.

Dubai Basketball will then turn their attention back to the ABA League, hosting Vienna on Sunday before facing another European heavyweight in Barcelona later in the month.

The UAE men’s cricket team completed a 3-0 T20I series sweep over Malaysia last week, bouncing back strongly after their ACC Premier Cup final disappointment.

The UAE won the opening match by six wickets before following it up with a seven-wicket victory in the second game.

They then completed the clean sweep in the third and final match on September 17, with Adeeb Usmani producing a standout performance of 95 from 53 balls.

The three-match series was played at Bayuemas Oval in Kuala Lumpur, with Harpreet Singh Bhatia leading the UAE side.

The UAE’s men’s football team have been eliminated from the Asian Games after finishing bottom of Group B.

The UAE drew 0-0 with China on Wednesday in their final group match, following a 3-1 defeat to Iran and another goalless draw against North Korea. The result left the UAE with two points from three matches and ended their hopes of progressing.

Attention now turns to the UAE senior national team, who begin their Gulf Cup campaign against Yemen on Thursday, September 24.

New head coach Zlatko Dalic will take charge of the UAE for the first time in the tournament, with the Whites drawn alongside Qatar, Bahrain and Yemen in Group B.

The UAE will then face Bahrain on September 27 before completing the group stage against Qatar on September 30.

Dubai recently hosted a major two-night boxing showcase featuring some of the UAE’s emerging homegrown talent.

The September 18 and 19 event at The Meydan Hotel featured four Emirati professional fighters on the same card, with Saif Alhaj, Ammar Tayel, Abdullah Marjan and Amer Asuwaider competing.

The event also marked the return of former world champion James “Jazza” Dickens, who faced Tanzania’s Ramadhani Kimwaga.

The showcase was billed as a milestone for UAE boxing, highlighting the continued development of professional fighters in the country.

The second edition of the Dubai Mallathon has concluded after attracting a record 160,475 participants.

The initiative, which ran from June 15 to September 15, saw participants collectively record more than 290 million steps across shopping malls and destinations throughout Dubai.

Organised by the Dubai Sports Council in collaboration with the Ministry of Defence, the event aimed to encourage residents and visitors to make walking and running part of their daily routines.