Nehwal hails first Shuttle Time Dubai Schools Championships

Sport360 staff 19:18 02/05/2015
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  • Shuttle Time Dubai Schools Championships Finals.

    Dubai’s best young shuttlers put their skills to the test last week at the first Shuttle Time Dubai Schools Championships held at Fitness First, The Meadows.

    – India Club wants official body to promote badminton in UAE
    – 15 schools participated in first Shuttle Time Dubai

    Much to their delight they were rewarded for their efforts with a visit by the world number one badminton player, Saina Nehwal, who was visiting Dubai to promote the Dubai World Superseries Finals and Shuttle Time Dubai.

    The young players had won their way through to the Schools Championships Finals after strong performances in the Girls’ and Boys’ Championships held earlier this month.

    They were joined in the Finals by the top ranked players in the Emirati Badminton Challenge, which was run alongside the Schools Championships.

    Nehwal presented the medals to the winning teams and conducted a coaching clinic with the children, before signing autographs for the hundreds of fans at the Championships.

    Building for the future: Saina Nehwal presenting medals.

    “It is fantastic to see so many enthusiastic children here today enjoying playing badminton” said Nehwal.

    “The skill level is very impressive, the girls in particular were hitting very strong shots. It is great to see so many children taking up the sport in Dubai after the World Superseries Finals here last year.

    "It’s really important for the children to start playing when they are young, and now that they have these competitions they have something to work towards.”

    Nehwal made history in March 2015 when she became the first Indian player to take the top spot in the world rankings and was the first Indian to win the Yonex-Sunrise India Open.

    She reached the semi -finals of the Dubai World Superseries Finals here last year, and is looking forward to returning again in December.

    “The Superseries is almost tougher than the World Championships because you have only the top eight players, so every game is very challenging.

    "I really enjoyed my time in Dubai last year, and I am working hard to qualify again this year and playing here again in December.

    "The event and the venue were fantastic, all the players really enjoyed it. I’m currently ranked number two in the Destination Dubai rankings, and we have eight events to go to qualify so there’s a lot of work to do.

    “It’s really important for Dubai to be holding the World Superseries Finals, so the interest in badminton will continue to grow.

    "Once the children see top level badminton, they are inspired to start playing and we can see that is what is happening here in Dubai.

    "The Shuttle Time Dubai programme is great because it gives the children the opportunity to get involved in badminton, and the chance to have good coaching. It’s also very important to train coaches too so the young players can improve their game.

    “India held the World Championships in 2009, and now has Superseries events and it changed the scenario for badminton in the country.

    "We have many good players coming through now as a result of this.

    "The same can happen here, and with the Superseries Finals being held in Dubai until 2017, this is a wonderful opportunity for badminton to really grow and develop here.”

    For many of the children the chance to meet Nehwal was the experience of a lifetime.

    For many of the children the chance to meet Nehwal was the experience of a lifetime.

    Nabhan Abdulnajeb from Our Own School, who won the under 13 boys division, said “It was great fun today, it was a great experience to meet Saina Nehwal, it was the best day of my life to meet her!”

    Jenine Bedua of the Philippine School, runner up in the U17 girls division, said “It was wonderful to be part of the Schools Championships, it was a big experience and achievement to be here.

    "It was very exciting to meet Saina Nehwal, she inspires me to work harder and be like her."

    Over 300 children participated in the preliminary rounds of the Championships, and Shuttle Time Coordinator Jaffer Ebrahim was delighted with the level of interest.

    “This is the first Schools Championships so we are very happy with the interest shown by all the schools.

    "Now the schools have seen the high standard of the tournament there will be more interest from them to improve their coaching and drive participation in each school.

    "The children really enjoyed today and this will give the kids the motivation to continue to play.

    “We will hold another tournament in October/November and the top schools will qualify for the next Shuttle Time Finals at Hamdan Sports Complex when the Superseries Finals are held in December.

    "They will get the chance to meet the top players and receive coaching from former world number one Peter Gade.

    Nehwal is considered as an inspiration.

    "And it was a dream come true for kids to meet Saina Nehwal, I heard some of them saying that in a few years they want to be the one signing autographs.”

    The Shuttle Time Dubai Schools Championships was organized in conjunction with the Dubai Sports Council, and is part of the ongoing Shuttle Time Dubai grassroots development program which is aimed at increasing participation in badminton.

    Shuttle Time Dubai is part of Dubai’s four-year, multi-platform partnership with the Badminton World Federation (BWF), facilitated by Falcon and Associates, the pinnacle of which is the staging of the annual Dubai World Superseries Finals, the first of which was held last December, which will be held in the city each year until 2017. 

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