Namibia crowned champions of inaugural UAE Netball Cup 2025 in Dubai
Namibia emerged victorious at the inaugural Dubai Holding Community Management UAE Netball Cup 2025, following a thrilling final held at Al Nasr Sports Hall in Dubai.The landmark tournament marked a major step forward for international netball in the Middle East and reinforced Dubai's growing reputation as a world-class host for elite women's sports as well.The week-long event welcomed six national teams ranked between 18th and 30th in the World Netball standings: Namibia (20), Singapore (19), Kenya (25), Ireland (18), the UAE (23), and the United States (30).Namibia clinched the title with an exciting 62–53 win over Singapore in the final. Kenya secured third place after defeating Ireland 46-37, while the UAE Falcons impressed home fans with a fluent 65-48 victory over the United States to finish fifth.The UAE Falcons showcased both skill and determination throughout the tournament, fielding a dynamic squad that blended experienced players with emerging talent developed through the nation's U17 and U21 pathways. Their performance earned admiration from spectators and provided a valuable boost to the team's international ranking.As an officially sanctioned World Netball event, the UAE Netball Cup 2025 highlighted the sport's increasing global competitiveness and its accelerating growth in the Middle East. With six international teams competing in Dubai, the tournament added a dynamic new chapter to the city's sporting calendar and strengthened regional momentum behind women's sports.The awards ceremony was attended by His Excellency Saeed Harib, Secretary General of Dubai Sports Council; Abdelrahim Al Hashimi, Chairman of the UAE Netball Federation; Francis Jiani, CEO of Dubai Holding Community Management; and Nasser Aman Al Rahma, Assistant Secretary General of Dubai Sports Council, alongside a large crowd of passionate supporters.Susanne Skelding, Founder of Active Netball, commented: 'This tournament has been a dream in the making for many years, and to see it come to life on this scale is incredibly special. The standard of competition has been outstanding, and it's a true testament to how far netball has come in the UAE. Hosting six international teams here in Dubai shows the strength of our ambition and the passion within our community. I'm so proud of the UAE Falcons and of everyone who helped make this event a success - it's a huge step forward for the sport in the region.'
Organised by the UAE Netball Federation in partnership with Falcon and Associates and Dubai Sports Council and proudly supported by Title Sponsor Dubai Holding Community Management, the tournament received additional backing from The Entertainer, Cognita Schools, Rove Hotels, Dubai Duty Free, and Mediclinic Middle East - all of whom contributed to delivering a world-class experience for players, officials and fans.
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Al Bawaba
7 hours ago
- Al Bawaba
Namibia crowned champions of inaugural UAE Netball Cup 2025 in Dubai
Namibia emerged victorious at the inaugural Dubai Holding Community Management UAE Netball Cup 2025, following a thrilling final held at Al Nasr Sports Hall in landmark tournament marked a major step forward for international netball in the Middle East and reinforced Dubai's growing reputation as a world-class host for elite women's sports as week-long event welcomed six national teams ranked between 18th and 30th in the World Netball standings: Namibia (20), Singapore (19), Kenya (25), Ireland (18), the UAE (23), and the United States (30).Namibia clinched the title with an exciting 62–53 win over Singapore in the final. Kenya secured third place after defeating Ireland 46-37, while the UAE Falcons impressed home fans with a fluent 65-48 victory over the United States to finish UAE Falcons showcased both skill and determination throughout the tournament, fielding a dynamic squad that blended experienced players with emerging talent developed through the nation's U17 and U21 pathways. Their performance earned admiration from spectators and provided a valuable boost to the team's international an officially sanctioned World Netball event, the UAE Netball Cup 2025 highlighted the sport's increasing global competitiveness and its accelerating growth in the Middle East. With six international teams competing in Dubai, the tournament added a dynamic new chapter to the city's sporting calendar and strengthened regional momentum behind women's awards ceremony was attended by His Excellency Saeed Harib, Secretary General of Dubai Sports Council; Abdelrahim Al Hashimi, Chairman of the UAE Netball Federation; Francis Jiani, CEO of Dubai Holding Community Management; and Nasser Aman Al Rahma, Assistant Secretary General of Dubai Sports Council, alongside a large crowd of passionate Skelding, Founder of Active Netball, commented: 'This tournament has been a dream in the making for many years, and to see it come to life on this scale is incredibly special. The standard of competition has been outstanding, and it's a true testament to how far netball has come in the UAE. Hosting six international teams here in Dubai shows the strength of our ambition and the passion within our community. I'm so proud of the UAE Falcons and of everyone who helped make this event a success - it's a huge step forward for the sport in the region.' Organised by the UAE Netball Federation in partnership with Falcon and Associates and Dubai Sports Council and proudly supported by Title Sponsor Dubai Holding Community Management, the tournament received additional backing from The Entertainer, Cognita Schools, Rove Hotels, Dubai Duty Free, and Mediclinic Middle East - all of whom contributed to delivering a world-class experience for players, officials and fans.
Al Bawaba
3 days ago
- Al Bawaba
DP World International League T20 and Kuwait Cricket Board enter strategic partnership for growth of the sport in Kuwait
The DP World International League T20 and the Kuwait Cricket Board have entered an exciting partnership for the growth of the sport in Kuwait. Through the partnership the DP World ILT20 will organise cricket matches in the country which will be aimed at identifying and developing the participating agreement between the Kuwait Cricket Board and DP World ILT20 was inked at a signing ceremony organised recently at the Dubai International Stadium. As per the agreement, a domestic event like the DP World ILT20 UAE Development Tournament, will be conducted annually in Kuwait to provide the players from Kuwait an opportunity to get selected by ILT20 franchises for the main DP World ILT20 event. In the coming years, the league will also aim to host DP World ILT2o matches in Kuwait. Chairman ILT20 and Vice-Chairman Emirates Cricket Board Khalid Al Zarooni: 'We are very proud to announce our collaboration with Kuwait Cricket Board as they join our league [DP World ILT20]. It is a great honour for us, and we look forward to many more such collaborations in the future. Kuwait is very important to us; it is a great country and keen on promoting and further developing cricket. 'Kuwait and the rest of the Gulf countries are all one, the [cricket playing] communities are residing throughout the region and our aim with the DP World ILT20 is to grow and develop the game in the entire region. Our endeavour is to provide maximum opportunities to the players and for the fans to join us at this great tournament which we are trying to grow more and more.'President Kuwait Cricket Haider Farman: 'I am honoured to formalise this agreement between Kuwait Cricket and the Emirates Cricket Board to further promote the DP World ILT20 — not only in our two nations but across the entire region. This partnership is a key pillar of the league's broader vision for the growth and globalisation of cricket. We firmly believe that cricket can serve as a powerful bridge between our countries, and we look forward to this collaboration bringing meaningful benefits to our players, coaches, and officials alike.'It is also a matter of great pride that Kuwait becomes the first country in the world to be officially recognized as a strategic partner of the DP World ILT20.'Cricket continues to grow in popularity in the State of Kuwait, with Kuwait Cricket making significant strides both on and off the field. This landmark collaboration with the Emirates Cricket Board and the ILT20 will play a critical role in helping us realize our long-term vision — to involve more Kuwaiti nationals in our cricketing ecosystem, especially as players and officials.'With the Asian Games scheduled to take place in Qatar in 2030 and Saudi Arabia in 2034, the timing couldn't be better. DP World ILT20 can be a transformative force in inspiring the next generation of local talent to embrace the sport across the GCC like never before.'CEO DP World ILT20 David White: 'I would like to congratulate Kuwait Cricket on their vision and foresight that has led to this exciting alliance. The DP World ILT2o's long term vision is to grow the game not only in the UAE but across the Gulf region.'This partnership provides a great opportunity for Kuwait Cricket and their young players to develop further. We have seen it in the DP World ILT20 how the young UAE players have benefited enormously through this incredible platform under some world-class coaching.'The UAE team recently won a T20I series against Bangladesh which is indeed a testament to the success of the DP World ILT20 as a lot of the UAE team members had received great exposure at the league in recent years, surely Kuwait and other countries in the region are going to benefit as well.'Director General Kuwait Cricket Sajid Ashraf: 'This momentous collaboration with the Emirates Cricket Board — a true leader in regional cricket development and the driving force behind the world-class DP World ILT20 — marks a historic milestone for Kuwait Cricket. It opens the door to a long-awaited dream: enabling our Kuwait players to pursue full-time professional cricket careers on the international franchise stage.'Just as importantly, it offers a powerful platform for corporate houses in Kuwait to connect with a vibrant, cricket-loving expatriate community of over two million people, within a total population of five million. This initiative provides a unique opportunity for Kuwaiti brands to expand their footprint regionally, starting with the UAE. We are deeply passionate about our Kuwaiti businesses becoming an integral part of both KCC and the DP World ILT20.'These well-established corporations in Kuwait have so much to offer in supporting the continued growth of cricket across the region, and their involvement will only strengthen the sport's ecosystem. This is undoubtedly a win-win for all stakeholders — players, sponsors, partners, fans, and the broader cricket community. We are excited about the ILT20 Development Tournament and eagerly await the first ball being delivered right here in the State of Kuwait.' Meanwhile, the DP World International League T20 Season 4 will begin on Tuesday, 2 December – UAE National Day (Eid-Al-Etihad) with the six-team, 34-match tournament set to conclude with the final on Sunday, 4 January 2026. © 2000 - 2025 Al Bawaba (
Al Bawaba
3 days ago
- Al Bawaba
Dubai Open Table Tennis Academies Championship brims with success
The curtains came down on the inaugural Dubai Open Table Tennis Academies Championship (DOTTA) with UAE player Mayed Nawaf Al Kaabi walking away with the crown at the ISD courts in Dubai Sports by the Dubai Sports Council in cooperation with the UAE Table Tennis Federation and tournament operating partner ISD Dubai, the championship witnessed a full house at the ISD Table Tennis courts at Dubai Sports among the finds of the competition, Emirati Mayed Nawaf Al Kaabi walked away with the Under-12 category after defeating Henroy Day, while Azan Abdullah had to stay content with third the Under-15 category, Abdulrahman Ganio clinched the top spot, followed by Chloe Isabel Silva in second place and Joaquim Yenigou Adriano in third brand-new addition to the Dubai sporting scene aims at enhancing the Dubai Sports Council's efforts of attracting and developing emerging sports talent in keeping with its policy launched in line with the Dubai Government's directives to attract and develop talent across all sporting championship served as a platform to highlight emerging talent in table tennis, and witnessed strong competition and impressive skill displays across both age Salem Al Mahri, Director of the Sports Talent Management Department at the Dubai Sports Council, emphasised the importance of competitions such as the Dubai Open Table Tennis Championships in strengthening sports talent development programmes across all Council has organised similar Dubai Open Championships in football, basketball, volleyball, handball, swimming, karate, gymnastics and tennis, with great success so far. He noted that the wide participation in these championships reflects their great success and is a positive indicator for their future Mahri also praised the outstanding technical level witnessed in the table tennis championship, emphasising that it was an ideal platform for discovering promising talents who will form a fundamental pillar of future national Neves de Almeida, General Manager of ISD Dubai Sports City, emphasised that the tournament goes beyond the competitive aspect. 'The Dubai Open Table Tennis Academies (DOTTA) Championship was not just a competition; it was an opportunity to inspire young athletes and instill a love of table tennis in them. Seeing the children give it their all and support each other is truly a source of pride. The competitions were characterised by a high level of sportsmanship among the players, in addition to promoting finer values of respect, discipline and a passion for challenge, which left a positive impact on the participants, parents and coaches,' Al Mahri tournament concluded with an awards ceremony, where the top winners in the Under 12 and Under 15 categories were honoured for their outstanding performances, exceptional skills and fighting spirit while ending on the 12: 1. Mayed Nawaf Al Kaabi; 2. Henroy Day; 3. Azan Abdullah Under 15: 1. Abdulrahman Ganiu; 2. Chloe Isabel Silva; 3. Joaquim Ynigo Adriano.
