Dubai is set for a busy sporting weekend, with 13 events taking place across the city from Friday to Sunday.
The programme set for this weekend includes road running, football, boxing, equestrian sport, gymnastics, swimming, motorsport and fitness events. Some are aimed at elite competition, while others are open to wider community participation.
One of the main events is the Expo City Dubai Half Marathon on Sunday, April 19. More than 1,400 runners aged 16 and above are expected to take part.
The race starts at 7.15am and will run through Expo City. Distances include 5km, 10km, 15km and 21km.
The Dubai Summer Open Football Academies Championship also continues this weekend. Organisers say more than 12,000 players from 508 teams are involved, with government and private academies and clubs taking part.
The competition is being staged by Dubai Sports Council and the UAE Football Association, in cooperation with Delta Sports Events. It is one of the city’s bigger youth football tournaments and is part of wider efforts to support talent development.
At Al Habtoor Polo and Equestrian Club, the Dubai Polo Cup runs until April 18. The tournament is being played at intermediate handicap level, from six to eight goals.
Among the teams involved are Al Habtoor, who won the Masters Cup on April 11, Emirates, Dubai Wolves, Bangash and Jahangiri. Team Emirates is led by Sheikha Maitha bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, while Dubai Wolves is led by Habtoor Al Habtoor.
The same venue will also host the Al Habtoor Show Jumping Championship on Friday. More than 150 riders from clubs across the UAE have been confirmed.
The event includes classes for novice riders over lower fences, as well as senior classes with jumps up to 140 centimetres.
In boxing, the Best in the Ring Championship takes place on April 18 at B7 Arena. The card includes 12 amateur contests as well as a number of professional bouts.
Among the scheduled match-ups are Ziad Wael against Guy Gifter, and Bahraini champion Yusuf Ali against Davis Ariho. In the amateur heavyweight division, Aaron Darby is due to meet Nikita Samurai. Other fighters listed on the event card include Nabil Choudhary, Khaws, Yuri Gonçalves, Dylan Van Kalk and Hamza Abdel Salam.
The Pullman Run will also be held this weekend, starting outside Pullman Downtown Hotel and following a route along Dubai Water Canal. Runners can choose between 5km and 10km distances.
For gymnastics, the Beirut International Open Rhythmic Gymnastics Challenge will take place at Saeed Bin Maktoum Hall in Al Mamzar from April 17 to 19. The event features children and young athletes aged from five to 18.
Swimming competition comes at Hamdan Sports Complex, which hosts the Hamilton Aquatics Swimming Championships on April 18 and 19. More than 400 boys and girls are expected to compete across age-group categories from 12 to 17 years old.
Races include 50m, 100m, 200m and 400m events in freestyle and butterfly.
Elsewhere, the weekend schedule also includes the GTO Fitness Championship at Emirates Sports Hotel, the Enduro Cross Motorcycle Championship at MixRide Academy, and the Art Run at Expo City Dubai.
The Art Run includes 2.5km, 5km and 10km distances, with the route passing art installations and interactive displays.
Dubai Autodrome will host the Dubai Karting Endurance Race, while La Perle in Al Habtoor City stages the FCS Fightgecko Combat Series Boxing event.
Taken together, it adds up to one of the busiest weekends on Dubai’s community sports calendar, with events spread across the city and across a wide range of sports.
