Dubai: UIM Promoter Nicolo di San Germano has hailed the addition of Addu City in the Maldives on the UIM-ABP Aquabike World Championship circuit starting from next season.
The Addu City Council held a meeting earlier this week and ratified the decision to host a round on the 2022 UIM-abp Aquabike World Championship in Addu City, the second largest urban area in Maldives. The visit to Addu City was initiated by the Ministry of Tourism, as part of their build-up towards next year’s golden jubilee celebrations of tourism in the Maldives.
The guesthouse operators of Addu, the City Council members and UIM-ABP Aquabike World Championship members all met at the secretariat of the Addu City Council and decided on Addu City as an ideal destination to host a round on the 2022 UIM-ABP Aquabike World Championship.
“This round will take place after the one in Sharjah,” H2O Racing’s San Germano told Gulf News after the meeting.
“We’ve visited the possible venue and it’s so beautiful and most suitable for an event of this nature. The City Council has a plan in mind to further tap the potential of tourism and we will be there to back such an event.”
Addu City consists of the inhabited islands of Addu Atoll, the southernmost atoll of the archipelago. Divided into six districts, Addu City is the second-largest urban area in Maldives in terms of population, and is one of the two urban areas to get the status of ‘city’ other than the capital city Male and Fuvahmulah.
Addu is one of the oldest populated atoll in the country with the Island of Meedhoo having traces of settlements as far back as 2000 BC. The original settlers are said to be from Western regions of Gujarat and Bihar state of modern-day India. With over 30,000 inhabitants, Addu Atoll is the second largest population centre in the country.
With more than three decades of experience, San Germano’s H2O Racing has been promoting and organising World Championship events in top-notch water sports, including Class One, F1 and Aquabike disciplines.
“We all felt that Addu City would be the best suited to host the event as it is already well equipped with necessary resources and facilities to organise an event of this nature,” San Germano noted.
“We also stressed home a potential growth both, in the economic and tourism sectors as a result of hosting this event,” he stressed.
The 2020 ABP-UIM Aquabike World Championship was marred by cancellations. The nine-round championship got under way with the Grand Prix of Kuwait in mid-February, but the next two rounds in Saudi Arabia and Portugal had to be cancelled due to the coronavirus.
However, the next two Grands Prix were held in Hungary (August 28-30) and Poland (September 4-6) till a fresh wave of the pandemic forced the cancellation of the last four rounds. “We are looking at firming up a calendar for the 2021 season, and this will be made known very soon. There are so many new things to be considered before hosting and moving an event around the world,” San Germano said.
