Dubai: As the 30-day Dubai Fitness Challenge draws to a successful close on Sunday, November 27, one thing has become clearer than ever: The man behind the initiative, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Executive Council, is someone who literally leads from the front.
That Fazza, as he is popularly known, has a penchant for all things sporty, outdoorsy and adventurous has long been established. Whether it is his feats on Burj Khalifa and Ain Dubai, swimming with the sharks and elephants, skydiving or participating in Spartan races, the action-packed social media posts about them become viral in no time, his millions of followers in complete awe of all that he does.
As his Insta handle aptly says, “Every picture has a story and every story has a moment…”
Sheikh Hamdan’s zest for sports and fitness is such that it inspires others to follow suit, with the result that it has created a new vibe and level of energy in Dubai.
Before the Dubai Fitness Challenge began last month, the Crown Prince said, “I look forward to having the whole community unite to turn Dubai into the world’s most active and dynamic city.”
Responding to the call, the community did unite – and how.
Here’s a look at the way in which Dubai Fitness Challenge and a host of other initiatives under the leadership and patronage of Sheikh Hamdan have nurtured a sports-and-fitness-focused mindset among residents, enabling them to lead a healthier and more active lifestyle over the years.
Dubai Run: A carnival that beckons
Nothing is perhaps more symbolic of Sheikh Hamdan’s emphatic leadership in sports and fitness than the visuals of him leading Dubai Run, the flagship event of Dubai Fitness Challenge on November 20.
Responding to his call, over 193,000 people from across all ages and abilities converged on Sheikh Zayed Road, turning it into a giant running track. The Crown Prince, who acknowledged the huge turnout within hours, said in a tweet: “Thank you all. Let’s make it more than 200,000 next year, Dubai.”
Dubai Ride: Fitness on wheels
Two Sundays earlier, on November 6, around 35,000 cyclists pedaled away on the same 14-lane Sheikh Zayed Road, as they took part in Dubai Ride, a free annual event that is also held as part of the Dubai Fitness Challenge.
The largest event of its kind for the cycling community in Dubai, it has been open to people of different ages and abilities, giving them a taste of what can easily be a more regular, fun-filled family or community activity.
Don’t forget, Dubai is a ‘bicycle-friendly’ city
It was in August 2020 that Sheikh Hamdan issued a directive to turn Dubai into a bicycle-friendly city by putting necessary laws, best practices and infrastructure in place.
Significantly, the length of dedicated cycling tracks constructed up to Q1 of 2022 has already reached 542km, with plans to increase it to 819km by 2026. What’s more, Dubai’s 80.6km-long Al Qudra Cycling Track achieved a Guinness World Record this week for being the “longest continuous cycling path”.
30X30: Bigger, better, bolder
Besides Dubai Run and Dubai Ride, this year’s Dubai Fitness Challenge made headlines with a myriad activities at its two Fitness Villages (Kite Beach and Al Khawaneej Last Exit) and 19 Fitness Hubs.
From free workouts to wellness-centric entertainment, the different fitness zones across these venues transformed Dubai into a massive gym, with the month-long calendar packed in far more when it came to the minimal stipulation of “30 minutes of activity each day for 30 days”.
Gov Games: One team, one spirit
The Gov Games, launched by Sheikh Hamdan in 2018, a first-of-its-kind government competition, has done much to promote a “one team, one spirit” ethos among government employees in the spirit of extreme sport. The carefully chosen games test the mental and physical aptitude of participating teams, as well as their ability to collaborate in navigating a purpose-built, unique obstacle course.
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Last year, 35 teams participated in the competition, their endurance levels wowing audiences.
Spartan: Ever race ready
Sheikh Hamdan is also a great patron of the Spartan Race which has many takers, its imposing obstacles, be they tires, ropes, trenches or steep walls, testing endurance limits.
Visuals of him along with more than 5,000 others of different age groups and nationalities participating in a 2016 event at the Jebel Ali racecourse are still fresh in the minds of his fans.
Fostering a love for skydiving
Sheikh Hamdan’s skydiving social media posts inspire many. In fact, the journey of Skydive Dubai itself can be traced back to the time when Nasser Al Neyadi obtained a helicopter and a wind tunnel and began training. Then in 2010, with the blessing of Sheikh Hamdan, Dubai hosted its first international parachuting championship at the Palm Dropzone.
It was soon after, that the name Skydive Dubai was born. Today, Skydive Dubai welcomes enthusiasts from all over the world. The flight school also offers coaching on formation skydiving, freefly, canopy and wingsuits.
Deep diving too
The Crown Prince’s deep sea adventures frequently feature on his Insta page. But when he chose to inaugurate Deep Dive Dubai, the deepest swimming pool (60m) in the world by delving into the waters, he actually made people want to experience the thrill of diving into an underwater world with all its mysterious streetscapes.
As some who walks his talk, his first-hand experiences are sure to leave people inspired.
Preserving marine, equestrian and heritage sports
Sheikh Hamdan’s efforts in preserving and promoting marine and heritage sports has won him many hearts and followers.
Fazza has done a lot to keep al ghaf racing and falconry alive amongst the younger generations of Emiratis, even as his personal falconry skills have earned him high praise. Just recently, he issued an order to set up International Federation for Falconry Sports and Racing, giving it a major push globally.
A patron of every sport
Singling out an activity would do great injustice to Sheikh Hamdan’s promotion of sports in general. From football to padel tennis, his engagement with a wide variety of sports has been well documented and widely admired. Football greats like Cristiano Ronaldo, who count Fazza among their good friends, have often talked about it.
As tennis superstar Novak Djokovic (@djokernole) once said on Instagram: “On my path, I have met many enthusiasts who love sports, but you @faz3 have raised passion and commitment and respect for sport to another level. Love your work and I am happy to be of service on that fantastic mission of yours to bring love for sports closer to people.”
