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UAE win first match at 7th Fazza International Wheelchair Basketball Tournament

The 7th Fazza International Wheelchair Basketball Tournament - Dubai 2015, held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of Dubai Sports Council, and organized and supervised by Dubai Club for the Disabled and the Hamdan Bin Mohammed Heritage Center.

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The event was in cooperation with the General Authority for Youth and Sports Welfare, Dubai Sports Council and the UAE Paralympic Committee, kicked off yesterday at Maktoum bin Mohammed Al Maktoum Hall, Al Ahli Club.

The event took plave in the presence of Mohamed Mohamed Fadel Al Hamli, Chairman of the UAE Disabled Sports Federation and Member of the International Paralympic Committee; H.E. Thani Juma Berregad, Chairman of the tournament’s Organizing Committee; Majid Abdullah Al Usaimi, Tournament Director, and members of the Organizing Committee of the tournament.

Following the first match, the Organizing Committee hosted a grand heritage-inspired opening ceremony that started with a parade of the participating teams, during which a number of folk troupes presented stunning musical performances, along with other activities aimed at acquainting the participating delegations with the UAE's rich history.

The first match of the tournament witnessed strong competition.
The first match of the tournament witnessed strong competition.

Mohamed Mohmmed Fadel Al Hamli gave the opening speech, in which he welcomed the participating delegations and praised the efforts of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, saying: "The efforts of His Highness the Crown Prince of Dubai in sponsoring this tournament and his ongoing contributions in promoting disability sports are worthy of the highest appreciation."

Addressing the teams participating in the tournament, he added: “We are pleased to be hosting you in the UAE, and we wish you a pleasant stay.

"The UAE Paralympic Committee is honored to take part in the 7th Fazza International Wheelchair Basketball Tournament - Dubai 2015, through our national basketball team."

Souad Ibrahim Darwish, Director of Championships at Hamdan Bin Mohammed Heritage Center, welcomed the participating teams and delegations and said: "This tournament, along with other Fazza Championships for people with disabilities, provides further confirmation that Dubai is steadily moving towards achieving the goals envisioned in the “My Community… A City for Everyone” initiative, launched by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, which complements the roadmap drawn up by Dubai to become a disabled–friendly city by 2020."

“My Community… A City for Everyone”
“My Community… A City for Everyone”

"We wish the best of luck to our national team and all the participants. That the tournament is now in its 7 year is a testament to its success, and this year’s edition is expected to see a high level of competition due to the very strong field of competitors.”

Tournament Director Majid Al Usaimi expressed his happiness at the strong start to the competitions, and exuded confidence that the participating teams – in view of their extensive preparations – will be able to set new standards of excellence and achieve new records.

"The Fazza Championships provide a platform for people with special needs to show the world their creativity and excellence, which makes us keen on helping our athletes gain the necessary experience to participate in international tournaments," Al Usaimi said.

Fazza Championships provide a platform for people with special needs to show the world their creativity and excellence.
Fazza Championships provide a platform for people with special needs to show the world their creativity and excellence.

Eight of the best national teams in the sport of wheelchair basketball are participating in this year’s tournament - namely Thailand, Australia, Morocco, Germany, Egypt, Oman, and Kuwait, in addition to the United Arab Emirates.

The draw for the tournament placed Egypt, Thailand, Morocco and Australia in Group A, with Germany, Oman, Kuwait and the UAE making up Group B.

Participating teams are divided into two groups, with each group consisting of 4 teams, who will compete against each other in a round robin format.

The top two teams in each group will qualify for the semi-final, and the two winners will face each other in the final to bid for the gold medal, while the losers will play for the bronze medal.

Festive spirit.
Festive spirit.

The first match of the tournament – where the Egyptian and Thai national teams were pitted against each other – witnessed strong competition between the two teams, with Thailand emerging victorious by the thinnest of margins – 85-83 – after a thrilling, engaging contest.

In the second match, the experienced UAE national team put up a splendid performance to comprehensively defeat the national team of Oman by a score of 63-48, underlining its status as a strong contender for the title.


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