Dubai: Fadi El Khatib, one of the biggest stars of Asian basketball, has lauded Dubai Sports Council (DSC) for re-opening the sports sector and allowing sports enthusiasts to return to active sports at the top-class indoor facility like the Dubai World Trade Centre’s Dubai Sports World.
The Lebanese star further thanked DSC and DWTC for the safety measures in place at the Dubai Sports World to ensure the health, safety and wellbeing of everyone involved, while allowing visitors to play or train in a completely secure and safe environment.
El Khatib’s newly-launched Champs Ahead Basketball Academy is a part of Dubai Sports World this year, and the 40-year-old has been impressed with the facility and the safety protocols in place.
“This is our first time at Dubai Sports World and we are delighted to be a part of this amazing initiative of Dubai Sports Council and Dubai World Trade Centre,” El Khatib related.
“Dubai Sports World is one of the biggest events of its kind in the world, and the facilities are just amazing. We thank Dubai Sports Council for the great efforts they have made to ensure that the sports sector reopens as early as it did, and in a responsible and planned manner, and you can see that all the kids here are delighted to be finally out and playing sports,” he added.
El Khatib launched Champs Ahead in January and is now of the belief that Dubai Sports World will be a great platform for the academy to showcase their dreams and plans for basketball in the UAE. “We are already looking forward to coming back to Dubai Sports World every year,” he said.
El Khatib further lauded the DSC and DWTC for the safety protocols put in place. “It’s not just about us coaches and the kids who are training with us, but you also have to take into consideration the parents who come here every day to drop and pick-up their children. It is very important that the parents feel safe about bringing their children here, and I am absolutely sure they do,” he pointed out.
“When you come to Dubai Sports World, the first thing that catches your eye is the safety measures in place. The event this year is being held in an exclusive, self-contained part of DWTC with a separate parking space. Then we have thermal body temperature scanners at the entrance, and once inside, you will find stickers and signage across the hall urging visitors to be safe and to keep a safe distance,” the Lebanese star added.
In an amazing international career, El Khatib took part in three consecutive FIBA World Championships (2002, 2006, 2010), where they defeated the likes of Venezuela and France, in 2006. He also played a stellar role as Lebanon finished runners-up at three FIBA Asia Championship finals (2001, 2005, 2007).
