Emporia Sports Academy: Where Community Comes First

Dubai: While many academies focus solely on performance, Emporia Sports Academy has built its reputation on a community-first approach that is helping athletes of all ages discover their potential.

Based in DAMAC Hills 2, the academy offers cricket coaching and athlete development programmes for children and adults, helping everyone from complete beginners to senior players improve their skills, build confidence and, above all, enjoy the game.

As part of Gulf News’ ‘Dubai’s Local Game’ series, Emporia Sports Academy Co-Founder, Faisal Irfan Siddiqui, outlines the vision behind the project

“As a resident in DAMAC Hills 2, I felt like cricket was missing in the community,” explained Siddiqui.

“We wanted to bring young people that live here professional training, we are registered in the Emirates Cricket Board, so we are giving kids a good opportunity to potentially progress and play at a higher level as well.”

While Emporia provides a pathway for talented players to progress into more elite levels of the game, its primary focus with younger athletes extends far beyond results and performance.

The academy places a strong emphasis on bringing children together in a positive and inclusive environment, using cricket as a tool to build confidence, develop social skills and instil important values such as teamwork, discipline and respect.

By nurturing players both on and off the pitch, Emporia aims to help young people grow not only into better athletes, but also into well-rounded individuals.

“The philosophy for us is the spirit of the game,” said head coach Arie De Lange.

“For us it’s not how well you play the game but how you play the game with us. We teach kids how to be respectful, how to play fair and the core fundamentals of the game.

“We don’t focus specially on elite, we focus on including everyone because it’s a community-based academy, but we do keep a close eye on the kids’ development to see if they can progress.”

Emporia has also built a strong following among older age groups, with many players regularly taking part in training sessions and tournaments throughout the year.

For many, the academy provides more than just an opportunity to play cricket; it offers a chance to stay active, socialise and remain connected to a wider community through healthy competition.

Whether competing on the field or enjoying the camaraderie that comes with being part of a team, the academy has created an environment where players can continue to enjoy the game long after their youth cricket days have ended.

“We’re not only focusing on the kids, we also host adult cricket and we have some players who are up to 63 years of age,” said Siddiqui.

“We aim to connect people, families and the community and we do this by offering tournaments which we have found to be a great platform for people to connect with each other.

“You don’t have to be a resident of DAMAC Hills 2 to play, we have people travel from other communities as well.”

Looking ahead, the academy's co-founder spoke about his vision for the future of community cricket in the UAE, with ambitions to expand Emporia Sports Academy's reach into different communities across the region.

By bringing cricket closer to more families and creating opportunities for people from all backgrounds to get involved, he hopes the academy can play a leading role in growing the game at grassroots level while strengthening the sense of community that sits at the heart of its philosophy.

“Our vision is to bring this academy to all of the communities in the UAE,” stated Siddiqui.

“After opening in DAMAC Hills 2, the feedback we have got from the community is that they love it.

"It’s a cricket hub which we have created, and we hope we can branch out and provide this for the other communities.”