Abu Dhabi: The Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK) has launched the 3rd edition Abu Dhabi Sports Championship for Schools and Universities. The event brings together 26,000 students and aspiring athletes from across the emirate.
This year, the tournament’s scope has been greatly increased, with ten individual sports disciplines and three team sports league types. Along with 18 institutions, 403 public, private, and charter schools in Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, and Al Dhafra are competing in the competition.
Participating students will get the chance to try their hand at winning the cup in their individual categories and get their first taste of the professional and academic sports career paths. In addition to summer camps at IMG Academy, the world-renowned institution for sports training and education, expert scouts will be present at some of the events to find exceptional children to enroll in ADEK’s talent discovery and development programs. The chance to apply for scholarships in allied fields of study will also be available to aspiring student-athletes.
HE Sara Musallam, ADEK Chairman and Minister of State for Early Education, Chairman of the Federal Agency of Early Education (FAEE), stated that, “The Abu Dhabi Sports Championship is a strategic initiative that aligns with our leadership’s vision to embed both competitive and recreational sportsmanship into our educational ecosystem. We want to support a generation of student-athletes and our commitment extends beyond fostering athletic talents; it is about embedding a culture of physical well-being and lifelong activity that starts from the grassroots level. By expanding the scope of the Abu Dhabi Sports Championship, we want to create a path for our most gifted student-athletes, encouraging them to excel in competitive sports arenas.”
The 2024 edition sees expanded league-format team sports including futsal for Under-9s and Under-11s, as well as football and volleyball for Under-13s, Under-15s, Under-17s, and Under-19s, and basketball for Under-14s and Under-19s.
The individual sports include judo, taekwondo, triathlon, cross country, athletics, indoor and open water swimming, cycling, badminton, archery, and fencing for Under-13s, Under-15s, Under-17s, and Under-19s, as well as shooting for Under-15s, Under-17s, and Under-19s. University students can now compete in both individual and team sports, further enriching the championship’s diverse landscape.
In addition, the Abu Dhabi Sports Championship maintains its dedication to coach development by bringing back ADEK’s Coach the Coaches program. 2,587 coaches have participated in this project thus far, and more are planned for later iterations. Among other capacity-building initiatives, the program offers extensive training, exchange opportunities with international coaching institutes, and developmental seminars.