The last series of the fourth Emirates Cup concludes on Saturday and the UAE Swimming Federation (USF) are inviting the public to witness the action free of charge.
Taking place at Dubai’s Hamdan Sports Complex, more than 200 children aged 11 to 16 years old from across the country will be competing in the 25m Short Course competition with their eye on claiming a medal.
The competition is a big event in the USF calendar with the emphasis on attracting children to swimming and offering a platform for competitors for bigger regional or international tournaments.
There will be no high-profile international swimmers competing, but some of the future stars in the UAE will be in action.
Stephanie Carvel, programme co-ordinate at USF, said: “This is the fourth and final meeting of the series for this calendar year. Boys and girls from local UAE sports clubs, swimming institutions and schools will be taking part in what will be a very competitive day of swimming. Swimmers from all over the UAE will be competing in the competition offering the chance to be tested against other swimmers in the country.
“There are two aims to holding the tournament. Firstly, it’s all about showing the importance of having a healthy lifestyle. And secondly, it’s continuing the growth of aquatic sports in the UAE whether it’s synchornised diving or swimming. And helping children gain as much experience regionally so that they can compete in international competitions.”
Plenty of spectators witnessed some entertaining races in the third meet of the series in June. Al Wasl Sports Club topped the standings with an overall 38 medals including 13 golds, 14 silver and 11 bronzes led by Yousif Al Hosani who won four races in the 14-15 age category. London 2012 Olympic 200m finalist Velimar Stjepanovic also picked up gold in the 50m freestyle.
And it promises to be more of the same on Saturday as the swimmers look to end the series on a high.
There will be five different age groups – under 11, under 13 and under 15 (open to boys and girls), 16-years and above (girls), under-17 (boys), and 18 years and above (boys), with medals up for grabs in the finals.
The competition will have two sessions – morning, from 10:00 and evening beginning at 16:00. Both sessions are free entry and Carvel believes this is a great opportunity for parents to show their children the sport.
She said: “Since 2010 when the FINA Swimming World Cup was held in Dubai, USF have been working really hard to popularise the sport in the country.
“We really want people to come and see how these children are doing. You never know how successful they will be, they could be the stars of tomorrow.”
HSC have staged many swimming competitions, most recently in the second leg of the 2014 Swimming World Cup that attracted some of the world’s elite including Olympic medalist Chad Le Clos. And Carvel insists spectators will be impressed with the facility.
She said: “HSC is a state-of-the-art facility in Dubai. People will be amazed to see how stunning it is and it’s a great venue for this competition.”
WHAT: Final series of the Emirates Cup
WHEN: Saturday. Morning session from 10:00, evening session from 16:00
WHERE: Dubai’s Hamdan Sports Complex
Sport360° VERDICT: It’s a chance to see the future UAE swimming stars. What’s more, entry is free. Perfect for a fun day out.
CONTACT: 04 264 8717 / 04 264 8718; www.uaeswimming.com
