• Curtains to fall on two-week Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships
   

DUBAI: The 2024 Gov Games will be the highlight for this week as Dubai plays hosts to more than 30 various competitions, including 12 international events that are being held in cooperation with the Dubai Sports Council (DSC).

The Gov Games is a series of physical and mental challenges that bring together people from the UAE and beyond. A unique initiative, the Games reinforce team spirit and collaborative work between friends, colleagues and government sectors across the globe.

Launched in 2018 by His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of The Executive Council, the Gov Games has been getting better and stronger each year.

Topping the list this weekend is the next edition of the Gov Games that will be held in four separate categories including Government teams, Community teams, International teams and Junior teams, at the Dubai Festival City till March 3.

As many as 194 teams – 84 in the men’s and 26 in the women’s - representing major global cities including the UAE, Australia, Bahrain, Denmark, Norway, United Kingdom, USA, Spain, Italy, Germany, Uzbekistan, Poland, Czech Republic, Russia, Slovakia, Lithuania, Netherlands, France and Portugal will be up for the various challenges lined up in the four competition categories of ‘Community Challenge’, ‘City Challenge’ and the brand-new ‘Young Peoples’ Challenge’ that is being launched this year.

This week will also see the World Skate Tour making its highly-anticipated return to the UAE with a two-week skateboarding extravaganza at the Dubai Harbour area. Hosted by World Skate and Arada, the UAE-based master developer, the second edition of the Middle East’s debut pro skating event will present back-to-back competitions up – the Park Pro Tour Stop (concluding on March 3) and Street Pro Tour Stop (from March 3-10).

Held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Dubai Sports Council (DSC), the Dubai event is the final stop on the Road to Paris 2024 with the participation of more than 500 male and female skaters representing 71 nations.

The Dubai Duty Free Men’s Tennis Championship will continue till March 2 (Saturday) featuring some of the top names from the world of tennis, including Daniil Medvedev, Andrey Rublev and Hubert Hurkacz. Rublev will meet Alexander Bublik in Friday’s first semi-finals, while Medvedev and Hurkacz will be up against Alejandro Davidovich Fokina and Ugo Humbert respectively to decide the second semi-final.

Also on the agenda is the Dubai Offshore Sailing Club (DOSC)-organised 2024 Aramex D2M (Dubai to Muscat) Sailing Race under the auspices of the United Arab Emirates Sailing and Rowing Federation (UAE SARF) in association with the Oman Maritime Sports Committee. The 31st edition of this annual race – to coincide with the golden jubilee of DOSC – is scheduled to conclude this weekend.

More than 20 teams are participating with a mix of keelboats and multihulls from 27 to 100 ft in length. Having started from DOSC along the Jumeirah Beach, the teams have been sailing and covering over 360 miles across the Arabian Gulf to the deep waters of the Indian Ocean passing along the coast of the Musandam Peninsula and through the famous Straits of Hormuz.

The final leg will take the participants on a South-Eastern route leading to Muscat before finishing at Marina Bandar Al Rowdha.

The 12th Fazza International Powerlifting Championship for People of Determination, organized by the Dubai Club for People of Determination at its headquarters, began late on Thursday. Nearly 190 male and female lifters representing 32 countries will compete until March 6. This will be followed by the hosting of the 8th Fazza Para Archery World Ranking Tournament that will witness the participation of 230 archers representing 56 nations for this final world qualifying tournament.

This week’s action will continue with the Dubai Masters Radio Flying Championship that is being held at the Zabeel Park with the participation of a large number of pilots from across the world. The organizing committee has chosen Zabeel Park as it is close to glittering landmarks such as Dubai World Trade Centre, Dubai Frame, the Museum of the Future and other heritage and tourist attractions in Dubai.

The Dubai International Boat Show will also continue until March 3, along with varied international competitions such as the International Rhythmic Gymnastics Championship at the Danube Sports Complex, on March 2 and the International Artistic Gymnastics Championship at the Star Gymnastics Academy in Al Quoz.

Also continuing will be the Dubai Labour Sports Tournament at the Sports Complex at the Workers’ Hostel in Jebel Ali, along with the Dasa Aquathlon Swimming Championship at the Hamdan Sports Complex, the Dubai Fishing Championship at the Dubai International Marine Club, the Seven Emirates Challenge Cycling Race and the RIPS Sports Champions Awards to be held at The Address Sky View Hotel.

Also adding to the list of activities will be the Emirates Sports Equipment Exhibition at Expo City, the ‘Run to Read’ community race on Saturday (March 2) in front of Gate 3 of Zabeel Park, the Dubai Expo City hosting the Cigna Running and Fitness event and the SBD Physical Strength Championship at the Holiday Inn Hotel at Dubai Science Park.

This weekend will also highlight the 7th FCC Boxing Championship at The Forum, the Freestyle Wrestling Festival in The Square of Dubai Sports City, the All-Stars Swimming event, the Future Stars Swimming Championship at Al Salam Community School, the Girls’ Rhythmic Gymnastics Championship at Shams Club in Al Safa 1, and the King and Queen Swimming Championship on West Beach on Palm Jumeirah. Also on the anvil are the Dubai Schools Cycling Championship, and the Burj Hilton Running Race at the Dubai Hilton Hotel along the JBR Walk.