More than 700 swimmers from 35 clubs and academies took part in the Dubai Open Swimming Academies Championship 2026 at Hamdan Sports Complex.
The event was held on May 9 and 10 and organised by Dubai Sports Council with the UAE Swimming Federation. Apex Academy, Speedo Swimming Team and Hamilton Aquatics Academy were also involved in staging the championship.
The meet gave young swimmers from across the UAE a chance to compete in a race setting at one of Dubai’s main aquatics venues.
Several swimmers stood out across the age groups.
In the girls’ 200m butterfly, Salma Al Deeb of Tyneside Club won the 12-year-old category in 2:53.60. Lorenz Ratwisti of Francis Sports Academy took the 13-year-old race in 2:48.58.
Hamilton Aquatics swimmer Amira Abu Yabes won the 14-year-old category in 2:50.20, while Gia Besmargi completed a strong showing for Tyneside by winning the 15+ category in 2:30.38.
In the boys’ 200m butterfly, Michael Haddati of Tyneside Club won the 12-year-old category in 2:51.85. Alp Kapar Yuksel took the 13-year-old race in 2:28.49.
Abdulrahman Hussein of Hamilton Aquatics won the 14-year-old category in 2:28.53, while Mark Milburn of Pro Active Club topped the 15+ category in 2:12.42.
There were also fast times in the sprint events. Anastasia Zinchenko of Nai Kai Club clocked 25.76 seconds in the 50m freestyle and 1:02.10 in the 100m backstroke.
Youssef Ayad of Fit Republic won the boys’ 50m freestyle in 23.94 seconds, while Aaron Cebrado of Westford Sport recorded 58.86 seconds in the 100m backstroke.
In the 200m freestyle, Omar Khader of Nai Kai won in 1:55.84. Talin Zayed of Tyneside took the women’s race in 2:11.61, then added wins in the 100m individual medley and 100m butterfly.
Timur Salikhov of Hamilton Aquatics also had a strong meet, with first-place finishes in the 200m freestyle, 200m individual medley and 100m individual medley.
Ahmed Salem Al Mahri, Director of Sports Talent Management at Dubai Sports Council, said the championship had become an important platform for identifying young swimmers.
“The championship has become a true platform for discovering talent and selecting outstanding swimmers with promising potential that can be developed within long-term future programs, in cooperation with clubs, academies, and coaches,” Al Mahri said.
“There was close technical monitoring of the swimmers’ levels, and a large number of talented swimmers were identified who showed clear development and potential that qualifies them to reach advanced competitive levels in the coming years.”
Al Mahri also said the event showed the value of cooperation between public and private organisations in UAE sport.
Coaches and technical staff said the championship has become a useful event on the local swimming calendar, giving young athletes race experience and helping identify swimmers ready for further development.
