Diksha Naveen and Yousef Ahmed Alhawai claimed the first titles of the 2026/27 MIDEA Dubai Schools Games as 260 students from 25 schools competed in the opening table tennis tournament.
The three-day event took place at All Sports Arena from October 6 to 8, with boys and girls competing in separate singles competitions.
Naveen, representing Indian High School, won the girls’ title ahead of Shreya Chetan Joshi from Indian International School in Dubai Silicon Oasis. Aviva Amith of Delhi Private School finished third.
In the boys’ competition, Alhawai of Zayed Educational Complex in Al Barsha (Cycle 3) took first place. Daksh Omprakash from GEMS Modern Academy finished second, while Ashwin Chaturvedi of Delhi Private School claimed third.
Dubai Schools Games continues with 31 sports
The table tennis tournament opened a season featuring 31 sports across 93 days of competition during the 2026/27 academic year.
Held under the patronage of the Dubai Sports Council, the Games bring together students from schools across Dubai to compete in organised sporting events.
Rashid Mohammed, Head of Sports Events Planning and Implementation at the Dubai Sports Council, said:
“School sports are a cornerstone of building a healthier and more active society, and a starting point for discovering and developing talent from a young age.”
The October schedule also included a shooting championship at the Dubai Club for People of Determination on October 14.
The next scheduled competitions are the triathlon at Al Mamzar Beach on October 25 and the golf championship at Arabian Ranches Golf Club on October 28.
