Abu Dhabi to host Swimming Festival
Professional Sports Group today announced the launch of the inaugural Abu Dhabi Swimming Festival. Under the Patronage of Abu Dhabi Beaches, the Abu Dhabi Swimming Festival will take place on the Abu Dhabi Corniche on Saturday 16th October.
The Festival will consist of various open water competitions suitable for all levels of swimmers including individual and relay races for friends, families, schools and local businesses. Each entry fee will donate a brick to the Abu Dhabi Special Care Centre helping the charity towards its 5 millions brick target.
Mr. Rashid Ali Al Umairah, Consultant of Investments, Municipality of Abu Dhabi City stated “The keen attention shown by the Municipality of Abu Dhabi City towards supporting various communal and sports activities underlines the social responsibility perceived the Municipality towards all segments of the community and the need to enable families, youth and all community members to practice their favourite hobbies. This demonstrates the Municipality’s attention to stimulate the creative potentials, hone personal & physical skills, and commit resources to support holding successful events and establishing sound partnership relationships” said Rashid bin Ali Al Umairah, Advisor of Investments & Assets, Municipality of Abu Dhabi City.
“Launching this unique event at Abu Dhabi Beach Corniche, in cooperation with Professional Sports Group, is a quality addition complementing other activities that the Municipality is endeavouring to provide for the public to practice in a comfortable and smooth environment. This can be ensured through providing all possible means & circumstances that make such activities enjoyable to the inhabitants & visitors of Abu Dhabi City, particularly marine sports enthusiasts. The Municipality has therefore embarked in revamping Abu Dhabi Beach Corniche to transform it into a tourist attraction point, a beautiful front of Abu Dhabi city and a recreational avenue fitted with ultramodern services at world-class standards to cope with customer services and meet their future needs in keeping with Abu Dhabi Future Plan 2030,” added Al Umairah.
The main feature event is the Waha Capital Abu Dhabi Mile (1.6km) event where the winners of the male and female categories will each receive 5,000 AED. In the Etihad Holidays Splash Dash (700m) contestants will get the chance to race across the Corniche from Heritage Village to the West Plaza.
Up for grabs for the winning male and female are two Business Class tickets to any Etihad Airways destination in Europe. There is also an Etihad Holidays Splash Dash individuals race for children over 200m as well as relay races for schools, businesses and families.
Salem Rashid Al Noaimi, Chief Executive Officer of Waha Capital, stated, “We are delighted to support the main event of the festival, the Waha Capital Abu Dhabi Mile. Crossing the “Mile” and bringing people together on Abu Dhabi’s beaches has a symbolic meaning for our company. It is a perfect fit to our corporate values, and underscores our constant endeavour to challenge the boundaries and strive for sportsmanship in everything we do.”
Under the Patronage of Abu Dhabi Beaches, the Abu Dhabi Swimming Festival is supported by the Abu Dhabi Sports Council and the UAE Swimming Association. Etihad Holidays are offering a prize draw for a free family holiday to Thailand open to everyone that enters the event. Whilst the National are sponsoring the Competitors Village and the family relays. Competitors will also receive ‘Breakfast on the Beach’ by the Park Rotana as well as gift packs including Al Ain Water, Capri Sun, and Speedo swim caps. Carboholix, the UAE's exclusive health food outlet for diabetics, is supporting the junior relay races and providing free entry for all Abu Dhabi schools.
Jamie Cunningham, Chief Executive Officer of Professional Sports Group, the Festival Organiser, believes the event can grow into a major sports event on the UAE calendar. “We want to create a unique swimming event here in Abu Dhabi that will eventually rival the Midmar Mile in South Africa. With free entry for Abu Dhabi schools, a great series of family swimming challenges and the Waha Capital Abu Dhabi Mile, we are confident that the Abu Dhabi Swimming Festival can become one of the great mass participation events on the UAE sports calendar. We also hope that it will eventually attract overseas visitors to swim Abu Dhabi’s iconic stretch of water along the Corniche.”
To enter the Abu Dhabi Swimming Festival, go to: swimabudhabi.com
