A basketball tournament in memory of a student from The Millennium School Dubai concluded with Indian High School being crowned champions after a close victory over DPS Dubai.
In July, the school received shocking news that Mohammed Sajjad Nellikunna Sabeer, 15, had died in a road accident while on vacation in Kerala, India. A keen basketball player and having represented the school in many tournaments, The Millennium School Dubai launched the Sajjad Memorial Inter-school Basketball Tournament.
Twenty schools from Dubai and Sharjah competed in the tournament, which was inaugurated by Dr Sunny Kurian, chairman of the Dr Sunny Healthcare Group.
Sanu Thomas, basketball coach of The Millennium School Dubai, said the tournament was a fitting tribute to Sabeer.
He said: “It was shocking news for everyone to hear he had died. The teachers couldn’t believe the news and the students got emotional when they heard the news.
“He was a very good player and was part of the U14 basketball team. He loved all types of sport whether it was football or cricket, and he had a real interest in cars.
Hamid Afzal Koya has fond memories of his friend Sabeer: “He shared all that he had with me and that made me feel special on many occasions.”
The hosts’ run in the tournament ended in the semi-finals with a 61-52 loss to Indian High School, while DPS Dubai overcame Our Own High School Al Warqa 51-49 in the other semi-final.
In a close final, Indian High School Dubai edged past DPS Dubai 81-79 to lift the trophy.
Olympians hoping to inspire a new generation of sailors
Abu Dhabi’s Al Muna Primary School received a special visit from two of Greece’s most experienced and decorated sailors.
Between them, Sofia Bekatorou and Konstantinos Trigonis have two Olympic medals (gold and bronze) in their seven Olympic appearances and 11 world championship medals.
The pair spoke to students aged between five and nine about their careers with the aim of promoting sailing in the UAE. “If I can be responsible for making kids go to the sailing club and try the sport then I will feel happy,” said Bekatorou, who participated in the ISAF Sailing World Cup Finals in Abu Dhabi.
She told the students: “The principle is, you start having a dream, you see something and you feel you want to achieve it. You need to use the chances you get in life and create chances for yourself in order to follow your dream.”
Some also tried their hand at sailing at the Abu Dhabi Sailing and Yacht Club with some experienced sailors, including Olympic gold medallist Mathew Belcher.
John Craig, head of ISAF World Cup, said: “The primary goal of the Abu Dhabi Sailing and Yacht Club is to increase local participation in sailing within Abu Dhabi. With a long term agreement between ISAF and Abu Dhabi to host the ISAF Sailing World Cup Final we hope to inspire many more youngsters.”
