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40 of the world’s biggest CrossFit stars are expected to participate in the December event in Dubai. Image Credit: Supplied

Dubai: Dubai Sports Council (DSC) has announced that the Dubai CrossFit Championship, one of the most anticipated events in the international sports calendar, is set to take place from 16 to 18 December at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium.

Supported by the Council, this year’s Dubai CrossFit Championship will bring 40 of the world’s biggest CrossFit stars to Dubai for a three-day challenge that will offer more than Dh1 million in prize money.

The holding of the championship, which is the first ever CrossFit sanctioned event in the world, reflects Dubai’s status as a premier destination for major international sporting events.

World champions

The 2021 edition of the Championship features the participation of 20 male and 20 female CrossFit athletes. The expected list of participants includes a number of previous world champions such as Iceland’s Annie Thorisdottir, who is the first woman to win the CrossFit Games twice, and Samantha Briggs of the UK, who has won the CrossFit Games in 2013. The event will be broadcast live on Dubai Sports TV and online on Dubai CrossFit Championship’s website and YouTube channel.

Saud Al Shamsi, Tournament Director of the Dubai CrossFit Championship, said: “We are really excited to announce yet another edition of the Dubai CrossFit Championship, one of the most prestigious international events to be held in Dubai due to the strength of the competitions it features and the athletic skill levels of the participants.”

Al Shamsi added that the organisation of the event reflects Dubai’s commitment to fitness and enhancing the health and happiness of community members, noting that the participation of the world’s biggest CrossFit stars will further motivate people to embrace a healthy and active lifestyle.

Since its inception, the Dubai CrossFit Championship has attracted athletes of the highest calibre and has been able to showcase Dubai’s fitness culture around the world.

Prize money

The 2018 edition of the event, which offered Dh2.2 million in prize money, featured 114 athletes and attracted more than one million views online. It also saw a 60-minute documentary titled Fittest in Dubai produced about the championship and its athletes. The documentary was broadcast on a number of prominent streaming platforms including Netflix and Amazon, as well as Emirates Airline’s in-flight entertainment.

Dubai CrossFit Championship is organised under the framework of Dubai Sports Council’s goal to promote health, happiness and fitness, both locally and internationally. The event will be one of more than 35 international sports events that will take place in Dubai during the six-month Expo 2020 Dubai period, including the 16th Dubai International Sports Conference (DISC), alongside Dubai Globe Soccer Awards on 28 December, and the awards ceremony of the prestigious 11th Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Creative Sports Award on January 9, 2022.