Newcomers Al Tadawi 1 made an instant impact while securing a stunning 3-1 victory over defending champions Zabeel as the volleyball competition of the 12th Nad Al Sheba Sports Tournament got under way at the Nad Al Sheba Sports Hall.
The competitions are part of the 12th ‘Nad Al Sheba Sports Tournament‘, the largest sporting event of its kind that was launched and sponsored by His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence and Chairman of the Dubai Executive Council.
This mega event is held annually during the holy month of Ramadan at the Nad Al Sheba Sports Complex under the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Dubai Sports Council, under the slogan ‘Limitless Capabilities‘.
Participating in the tournament for the first time with players mainly from Dynamo Moscow, one of Russia‘s most prestigious clubs, Al Tadawi 1 fought back from a set down to open the volleyball tournament with a 3-1 victory over defending champions, Zabeel.
Brimming with confidence, Zabeel dominated much of the first set to secure a close 27-25 win and go clear 1-0. But, with Maksim Sapozhkov, Denis Bogdan, Anton Semyshev and Ilia Vlasov finding their rhythm it seemed to be the night of the underdogs as Al Tadawi 1 ran away with the next three sets, 25-20, 25-23 and 25-21 to lodge the first major upset of the volleyball competition.
Sapozhkov was rightly adjudged the Most Valuable Player for a game-high 16 points, followed by Bogdan (13) and 12 points apiece from Semyshev and Vlasov.
The second match of the night went the distance with Al Ameed securing a hard-fought 3-2 (22-25, 25-21, 22-25, 25-20, 15-10) win against HFH.
With neither of the teams allowing each other any liberty, it all boiled down to the versatile outside hitter and player of the match Luca Porro, who topscored with 22 points, even as his teammates Tommaso Stefani – who was menacing both in the attack and blocking while adding 20 valuable points – Mattia Orioli (18) and Fabian Plak (14) that eventually tipped the scales in favour of Al Ameed.
Tug-of-War continues
The tug-of-war championships entered its second day, witnessing some more intense competition and excitement among participating teams in all three categories.
The National Guards secured their second straight win with a smooth 2-0 win against Dubai Police, while the Ministry of Defence got the better of Dubai State Security Department, 2-0 even as Ras Al Khaimah Civil Defence brushed aside Dubai Civil Defence 2-0 and the Land Forces beat the Ministry of Education, 2-0 in the Government Departments and Institutions category.
Competition in the Community category too was stiff with the IFBB Academy defeating the Dulsco Group, Transguard Group skipped past Al Musalmani, EFS Champions beat Agnes Contracting, Al Jawarih defeated Al Habtoor Group and Dutco Group tamed Al Sahel Company.
In other encounters held later in the night, Al Kawaser defeated Al Asifa, AG handed out the first defeat to the Kerala Kings and the Fighters got the better of Truss General Trading.
In the junior category, Sharjah Police Science Academy defeated the Ahmed bin Rashid School, 2-0, while the A25 Gym beat B Ninja. The Desert Storm was also in smooth form while defeating the IFBB Academy, while the Sharjah Sports Council had to dig in deep before securing a close 2-1 verdict against the Sharjah Self-Defence Club.
Strong contests in Wheelchair Basketball
Entering its fourth day, the wheelchair basketball tournament witnessed strong competitions with the Dubai Municipality securing a close 20-18 win against the Community Development Authority.
Sharjah Police were even more menacing through their 21-20 result against the Roads and Transport Authority. Dubai Courts secured their first win with a 27-16 result against the Department of Finance, while the Dubai Corporation for Ambulance Services eased through 24-13 against Dubai Club for People of Determination.
Dubai Municipality is now perched at the top of the standings in Group 2 with 6 points, followed by Dubai Corporation for Ambulance Services, also with 6 points, but an inferior scoreline. The Community Development Authority and the General Directorate of Identity, Foreigners Affairs and Determination are at the bottom of the group.
Group 1 is led by Dubai Police with 6 points and a total of 90 baskets, the highest among all teams. They are followed by teams from Roads and Transport Authority and Sharjah Police, with 5 points each, while the Dubai Courts and Department of Finance are tied at the end with 4 points each.
