Abu Dhabi is popping out to be moderately a wearing hub as obvious from the truth that the Abu Dhabi Cycling Tour used to be granted the World tour status in its 3rd 12 months by way of the UCI (Union Cycliste Internationale). The tour this 12 months, the fourth edition, has introduced in combination an enviable line up international's most sensible cyclists and 17 out of the 18 World Tour Team are competing for the 'Golden Grit' Trophy.
Promoted by way of the Abu Dhabi Sports Council (ADSC), the Emirate will see wearing action right through the 12 months with prestigious occasions like FBMA Show Jumping Cup, Formula 2 Powerboat Championship, ITU Triathlon Series and Jujitsu President Cup. However, cricket is something ADSC is losing out to Dubai, however that too may just alternate.
TOI Sports sat down with Aref Hamad Al Awani, General Secretary of Adu Dhabi Sports Council, on the sidelines of the Abu Dhabi Tour, as he talked about the significance of promoting a wide variety of sports, how it is helping evolve the sports ecosystem in the Emirate and how dealing with BCCI is a bit of a fight for them now.
Excerpts:
Having the Abu Dhabi Tour attain the World Tour status in its 3rd 12 months simplest, is something that you'd be pleased with?
From the primary 12 months when we studied the desire, our goal used to be to have the race of the tour in Abu Dhabi, so we started to work for it. Abu Dhabi is the capital and has a big land share of the UAE. and it's not just one town, there are lot of cities inside, so it is important to exhibit all of that in one of the finest sports tournament of the arena.
It is straightforward to turn a match in a stadium or a venue, however that provides smaller environment; there may be smaller viewership effect for the target audience, internationally and domestically. But, when you communicate about the tour, it's the simplest platform which will display you the cities. That is the reason why Tour de France is known, Giro d'Italia is known; because they display you puts you typically do not get to look. It will not be Paris, you notice a lot of other puts and that used to be out goal from the start.
Plus there used to be a large strategy, which we have already got agreed and are operating on. That is we've a variety of occasions, in order that we at all times stay the high and a spotlight. There is at all times want to stay sports attention-grabbing and for us webhosting the event, and being recognised as a sports entity. Later on, we hope to have more talents coming in to participate in these competitions and evidently that can toughen and inspire the native communities to absorb sports.
Having any individual like Mark Cavendish because the Ambassador for the tour will have to be a large spice up?
Mark Cavendish is one of legends of the sports. Even in the UAE residents - native or now not, they engaged with us and with Cavendish, as he is without doubt one of the example which we handled him as one of our own and we hope he continues to strengthen us. And we're glad that a lot of different riders are coming back and playing with us. Elia Viviani has been there from the primary 12 months, (Marcel) Kittel did experience his time and gave a just right comments final 12 months. (Alejandro) Valverde is there, and the influence we get is that they adore it right here and it has been a good response. That is why the riders helped in giving the best/suitable comments to UCI and that's the reason why our tour used to be elevated to World Tour status in three years. It is an fulfillment for us, however it is used to be our ambition as well.
And to maintain that we need to do something new once a year. That is why we've got the time trial this 12 months. We additionally wish to present Abu Dhabi in a new way. We have one of the easiest race tracks - the Yas circuit and now we are going to display Abu Dhabi in a different viewpoint. Through this tour, you'll see the newest island in Abu Dhabi, the Al Maryah Island and the waterfronts. The riders will see a lot of various things after they pass by way of the coast of Abu Dhabi. So the aim could also be to give something new from a riders' viewpoint and audience' viewpoint.
How important do you think is having a crew of your personal (UAE Emirates) in order to promote the sport?
We are the organisers first; and we cannot favour any crew. So, the UAE Emirates crew has been equally handled as every other crew. At the same time I think, relating to sports engagement, having a crew of your personal is just right. It wasn't simple and we're glad that the traders and crew house owners took this initiative. We have teams in main sports - in the rallies, races, so it is just right to promote your nation far and wide - whether by way of webhosting by way of having teams in sports. Plus commercially speaking, like big soccer golf equipment like Real Madrid, Arsenal joined fingers with the likes of Fly Emirates, Etihad et all - these kinds of displays, having our flag visual to the arena will at all times be something to be pleased with.
The different facet of it is that it is going to encourage a lot of children, to have the vision and dream that they may be able to participate somewhere internationally. So evidently, we're glad that a crew like UAE Emirates is participating in the World Tour and we hope that we discover others house owners and corporations who can take such projects and participate and in different occasions.
Abu Dhabi is popping out to be moderately a wearing hub...
We are selling the entirety; we're looking after Cycling and different variety of sports. We cannot concentrate on one sports; there will likely be just one instance, after that the it slows down. We are looking for a wider calendar. That is why we started with Judo, women's golfing, Abu Dhabi golfing competitions, Jujitsu, horse Jumping and there will likely be a Triathlon next week - so it is at all times attractive right through the 12 months, by way of bringing in the most prestigious occasions. And thru these sports we recommend a lot of humanitarian activities. For example, with cycling we've just about 20 races taking place over the 12 months and takes care of promoting cycling as an approach to life as an process and that I believe will likely be one of our legacies.
What about cricket, Dubai seems to getting a justifiable share of cricket matches?
We already are making plans to have T20s this 12 months in October. We took over the club (Abu Dhabi Cricket Club) final 12 months. We hosted Pakistan and Sri Lanka recently. In the final week, we had the Abu Dhabi-India government week in Delhi and Mumbai. We check out to usher in a lot of teams in right here. The simplest impediment that we face now and we want to get over that is with the board. They have some roughly exclusivity, however we hope and seeking to have verbal exchange with them, because we're devoted to selling cricket right here. Number of recent generations children from other nationalities are playing cricket right here and that's our goal. UAE is for everyone and UAE is attempting to convey other nationalities in combination. And evidently, cricket is without doubt one of the primary sports which we seeking to promote on account of the potential it has.
(The correspondent's trip to Abu Dhabi used to be paid for by way of the Abu Dhabi Tour)
Promoted by way of the Abu Dhabi Sports Council (ADSC), the Emirate will see wearing action right through the 12 months with prestigious occasions like FBMA Show Jumping Cup, Formula 2 Powerboat Championship, ITU Triathlon Series and Jujitsu President Cup. However, cricket is something ADSC is losing out to Dubai, however that too may just alternate.
TOI Sports sat down with Aref Hamad Al Awani, General Secretary of Adu Dhabi Sports Council, on the sidelines of the Abu Dhabi Tour, as he talked about the significance of promoting a wide variety of sports, how it is helping evolve the sports ecosystem in the Emirate and how dealing with BCCI is a bit of a fight for them now.
Excerpts:
Having the Abu Dhabi Tour attain the World Tour status in its 3rd 12 months simplest, is something that you'd be pleased with?
From the primary 12 months when we studied the desire, our goal used to be to have the race of the tour in Abu Dhabi, so we started to work for it. Abu Dhabi is the capital and has a big land share of the UAE. and it's not just one town, there are lot of cities inside, so it is important to exhibit all of that in one of the finest sports tournament of the arena.
It is straightforward to turn a match in a stadium or a venue, however that provides smaller environment; there may be smaller viewership effect for the target audience, internationally and domestically. But, when you communicate about the tour, it's the simplest platform which will display you the cities. That is the reason why Tour de France is known, Giro d'Italia is known; because they display you puts you typically do not get to look. It will not be Paris, you notice a lot of other puts and that used to be out goal from the start.
Plus there used to be a large strategy, which we have already got agreed and are operating on. That is we've a variety of occasions, in order that we at all times stay the high and a spotlight. There is at all times want to stay sports attention-grabbing and for us webhosting the event, and being recognised as a sports entity. Later on, we hope to have more talents coming in to participate in these competitions and evidently that can toughen and inspire the native communities to absorb sports.
Having any individual like Mark Cavendish because the Ambassador for the tour will have to be a large spice up?
Mark Cavendish is one of legends of the sports. Even in the UAE residents - native or now not, they engaged with us and with Cavendish, as he is without doubt one of the example which we handled him as one of our own and we hope he continues to strengthen us. And we're glad that a lot of different riders are coming back and playing with us. Elia Viviani has been there from the primary 12 months, (Marcel) Kittel did experience his time and gave a just right comments final 12 months. (Alejandro) Valverde is there, and the influence we get is that they adore it right here and it has been a good response. That is why the riders helped in giving the best/suitable comments to UCI and that's the reason why our tour used to be elevated to World Tour status in three years. It is an fulfillment for us, however it is used to be our ambition as well.
And to maintain that we need to do something new once a year. That is why we've got the time trial this 12 months. We additionally wish to present Abu Dhabi in a new way. We have one of the easiest race tracks - the Yas circuit and now we are going to display Abu Dhabi in a different viewpoint. Through this tour, you'll see the newest island in Abu Dhabi, the Al Maryah Island and the waterfronts. The riders will see a lot of various things after they pass by way of the coast of Abu Dhabi. So the aim could also be to give something new from a riders' viewpoint and audience' viewpoint.
How important do you think is having a crew of your personal (UAE Emirates) in order to promote the sport?
We are the organisers first; and we cannot favour any crew. So, the UAE Emirates crew has been equally handled as every other crew. At the same time I think, relating to sports engagement, having a crew of your personal is just right. It wasn't simple and we're glad that the traders and crew house owners took this initiative. We have teams in main sports - in the rallies, races, so it is just right to promote your nation far and wide - whether by way of webhosting by way of having teams in sports. Plus commercially speaking, like big soccer golf equipment like Real Madrid, Arsenal joined fingers with the likes of Fly Emirates, Etihad et all - these kinds of displays, having our flag visual to the arena will at all times be something to be pleased with.
The different facet of it is that it is going to encourage a lot of children, to have the vision and dream that they may be able to participate somewhere internationally. So evidently, we're glad that a crew like UAE Emirates is participating in the World Tour and we hope that we discover others house owners and corporations who can take such projects and participate and in different occasions.
Abu Dhabi is popping out to be moderately a wearing hub...
We are selling the entirety; we're looking after Cycling and different variety of sports. We cannot concentrate on one sports; there will likely be just one instance, after that the it slows down. We are looking for a wider calendar. That is why we started with Judo, women's golfing, Abu Dhabi golfing competitions, Jujitsu, horse Jumping and there will likely be a Triathlon next week - so it is at all times attractive right through the 12 months, by way of bringing in the most prestigious occasions. And thru these sports we recommend a lot of humanitarian activities. For example, with cycling we've just about 20 races taking place over the 12 months and takes care of promoting cycling as an approach to life as an process and that I believe will likely be one of our legacies.
What about cricket, Dubai seems to getting a justifiable share of cricket matches?
We already are making plans to have T20s this 12 months in October. We took over the club (Abu Dhabi Cricket Club) final 12 months. We hosted Pakistan and Sri Lanka recently. In the final week, we had the Abu Dhabi-India government week in Delhi and Mumbai. We check out to usher in a lot of teams in right here. The simplest impediment that we face now and we want to get over that is with the board. They have some roughly exclusivity, however we hope and seeking to have verbal exchange with them, because we're devoted to selling cricket right here. Number of recent generations children from other nationalities are playing cricket right here and that's our goal. UAE is for everyone and UAE is attempting to convey other nationalities in combination. And evidently, cricket is without doubt one of the primary sports which we seeking to promote on account of the potential it has.
(The correspondent's trip to Abu Dhabi used to be paid for by way of the Abu Dhabi Tour)
Abu Dhabi: A sporting hub like none other
![Abu Dhabi: A sporting hub like none other]()
Reviewed by Kailash
on
February 23, 2018
Rating:
