Dubai: The top official from Commercial Bank of Dubai (CBD) has backed the bank’s initiative in fuelling dreams of young athletes in the UAE.
“This is just a start and a small contribution from the Commercial Bank of Dubai in ensuring the future of the UAE in sports,” said Peter Baltusen, chief executive of CBD, said on the sidelines of the 2nd CBD Youth Athletics Championships held at the Dubai Police Officers Club here on Saturday.
The championship was launched in 2012 with the aim of promoting an active lifestyle and instilling a spirit of healthy competition among school students in Dubai. During the inaugural edition last year, nearly 1,000 students from 42 Dubai schools participated, while this year’s championship had 1,650 students from 65 schools taking part in three age categories for boys and two categories for girls. The preliminary rounds of the competitions were held in November 2012.
Held under the patronage of Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of Dubai Sports Council, the championships are being sponsored by CBD, who kept aside nearly Dhs500,000 as cash prizes for the athletes and schools.
“It is important that our children stay healthy and get a competitive element as well,” Baltusen said. “We are committed to hosting these championships as this is our way of reaching out to the communities we are involved with.”
