Dubai Sports Council announced the launch of the “Dubai Open for Tennis Academies Tournament” in association with Sania Mirza Academy Tennis and UAE Tennis Federation, and it will attract more than 400 talented tennis players, and it will be held from October 28, 2023 to January 14, 2024, and includes 4 different categories for youngsters and adults, men and women, and aims to attract and develop sports talents.
This came during a press conference held at the headquarters of the Dubai Sports Council and was announced by His Excellency Saeed Hareb, Secretary General of Dubai Sports Council, and Indian tennis legend Sania Mirza, in the presence of Nasser Aman Al Rahma, Assistant Secretary General of Dubai Sports Council, and Alia Bujsem, member of the Board of Directors of UAE Tennis Federation. His Excellency Saeed Hareb welcomed the Indian champion, Sania Mirza, and said: “Sania Mirza is a friend of Dubai Sports Council. This is not her first cooperation with the Council. She lives permanently in Dubai and is considered a member of the community whose presence we are proud of. We salute her efforts in launching the initiative to spread tennis and benefit from her great expertise and experience to find new generations of tennis players.”
Hareb added: “Dubai Open for Tennis Academies is a pioneering initiative to attract and discover talented people and develop their skills, and contributes to motivating and encouraging athletes to develop their careers in the field of sports. Dubai Sports Council is keen to support such pioneering initiatives because talented people represent the basic foundation of the future, and the Council. We are keen to cooperate with international stars and private sector organizers from inside and outside the country to launch initiatives and organize tournaments that contribute to spreading the culture of sports and physical activity. In Dubai, we have an environment that encourages and supports investment in various fields, Sports investment has proven to be the perfect choice for the stars, and many stars have achieved great successes from their investments in Dubai in various sports, and we hope that Sania Mirza will achieve great success in her project to discover and develop talent in line with her love for Dubai and the UAE.
Alia Bujsem said: “I offer you the greetings of Sheikh Hasher bin Maktoum Al Maktoum, President of the UAE Tennis Federation, and we are pleased to always cooperate with Dubai Sports Council to achieve more successes, and this tournament comes to enhance cooperation and complete the course of tournaments that were organized with the Council and witnessed a wide participation of players, Emiratis and residents, and this tournament will enhance the balance of the players participating in the points that will be recorded in their classification in the UAE Tennis Federation, which has been linked to the classification of the International Federation, so that the points are equalized to transfer from the local classification to the international classification, so all participants in the tournament will be winners.
For her part, the famous tennis icon Sania Mirza, ambassador of the tournament, said: “This initiative represents a historic moment for the world of tennis in Dubai and shows the city’s unwavering commitment to promoting and nurturing tennis talents. Dubai’s interest in developing the sports sector in general and tennis in particular is constantly increasing and has become much stronger than before.” This initiative is a testament to the city’s dedication to nurturing talent and creating a lasting legacy in the world of tennis. The tournament comes in line with the initiative it launched before to train Emirati players, Where my team will supervise the tournament competitions under my guidance to select the best promising national talents in it, and then work to guide them and provide them with the necessary support and training to compete and reach international podiums, in cooperation with Dubai Sports Council and UAE Tennis Federation, so that this cooperation constitutes a great force dedicated to nurturing and discovering tennis talents in Dubai “.
Sania added: “Dubai Open for Tennis Academies” will include both junior and senior categories, providing players of all ages with a unique platform to showcase their skills on the international stage. The first season of the junior category of the championship is scheduled to end during the month of December, coinciding with the celebrations of the National Day of the United Arab Emirates, and this is a great conclusion to be a scene of excellence and patriotism in tennis.
The participants in the tournament compete in 7 different categories: under 12, 14 and 18 years old for boys and girls, men’s singles open, women’s singles, men’s doubles and women’s doubles. The first season of the tournament will last from October 28, 2023 until January 14, 2024. The second season during the period from September 5, 2024 until January 11, 2025.
Registration to participate in the tournament will start at 8am on 8 September, 2023 until October 10, 2023. Players can participate in the tournament by registering by visiting the official website of the tournament https://www.dota.ae, and completing the registration form on the site. Information and assistance in the process can also be obtained by contacting the tournament support team at info@dota.ae.
On a related level, Fatima Buhajir, coordinator of the “Positive Spirit Initiative” launched by the Dubai Police General Command, explained that the initiative is a fundamental pillar in supporting community work at the Dubai Police General Command, since its inception years ago, as the initiative provided many community activities that had the most prominent role in the comprehensive work in Dubai Police this is under the directives of His Excellency the Commander-in-Chief and Director of the General Department for Community Happiness. During the past years, the initiative has achieved many successes and positivity, whether at the level of schools or other groups falling under the category of people of determination, as well as its role in society as a whole, wishing continuity in giving to society through distinguished initiatives, thanking the success partners In other institutions and everyone who contributed to the success of the activities of the positive spirit initiative.
Sania Mirza is the first tennis player in India who has achieved international achievements and reached an advanced ranking in the world rankings of players and won the doubles title in the Grand Slam tournaments 6 times and many other international tournaments and titles. Her relationship with Dubai extends to about 17 years, where she began in Dubai, as a promising young player, found in Dubai all the atmosphere of happiness, development, and growth, so she chose it as headquarters for her and her family, where they have lived in Dubai for years, because of the safety, cultural diversity, and sophistication in dealing between all nationalities, and all the factors that they found in Dubai help creativity and development.
The world champion took Dubai as a center to launch her training project by forming an academy with branches in all regions of Dubai in an effort to increase the popularity and spread of tennis among all segments of society. All requirements, as Dubai possesses the elements that make it the most suitable location and ideal destination for hosting international sporting events thanks to the infrastructure, flexibility and facilities it provides to investors and organizers of sporting events, and thanks to its distinguished location, natural and tourist attractions, in addition to the various sports facilities that were built according to the highest international standards.