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How the UAE became the world’s first choice for sports and international competitions

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The 51-year-old United Arab Emirates, who just a few years ago did not have a special identity on the playing field on the world stage, has become a world-class stadium in the last few years, beyond everyone’s expectations. The country has proven its prowess on the global stage in hosting cricket, football, Formula 1, tennis, golf and UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) events.

Although football is the first choice of local residents in the UAE and there are countless football pitches and football clubs, the way the government provides facilities for all sports in the UAE is a vision and policy that takes into account the possibilities of all other sports. While creating a safe environment, a new chapter in sports tourism has opened in this tourism-oriented economy.

The UAE will host the 2022 Asian Cup this month. The UAE has hosted many cricket events over the past few years – T20 world Cup, IPL and Pakistan Premier League (PSL) – multiple times. The country hosted them at the height of COVID-19, making the UAE an independent nation for organising sporting events.

Hosting a major cricket tournament is not an unfamiliar concept to the UAE. cricket They came to the country in early 1981 when Sharjah started hosting the international elite, and these elite international players had been in the country long before the first international event.
Since then, the UAE has grown strongly, hosting the first part of the 2014 IPL and the full edition of the 2020 IPL. It also hosted an international competition in Pakistan, nearly a decade after the 2009 Lahore terrorist attack.

The country brought international cricket in the 1980s, with the opportunity to host one of the biggest events in the world, the ICC T20 World Cup (17 October to 14 November), which will now host the Asian Cup. The tournament was supposed to be hosted by Sri Lanka, but the political situation forced the Sri Lankan committee to move the tournament to the UAE.

According to a report on the economic impact of sports in Dubai, the total annual sports-related spending exceeds $1.7 billion, and the total economic impact of sports in Dubai exceeds $670 million. Anis Sajan, Vice Chairman of Danube Group, also known as UAE Cricket, said the UAE has developed into a major meeting place worldwide due to its convenient travel accessibility.

“The UAE government is also very open and supportive of the global sports world as we host events such as the Grand Prix and Football Cup. Given the country’s culture and adaptability, many players travel there regularly to take advantage of the vibrant culture. In cricket, All stadiums in the UAE have top-notch facilities including ICC Stadium, Dubai Stadium, Sharjah Stadium and even Abu Dhabi Stadium. The convenience of these venues makes it easy to host international matches. I think, due to the 2023 International T20 League , the UAE will become better known in the cricket world,” he said.

Manish Kishor, Managing Director of U-Pro, the Dubai Indoor Sports Centre and Chief Operating Officer of the Delhi Bulls, which compete in the Abu Dhabi T10 League, spoke about the huge potential that Dubai offers for sports development. “What we are seeing in the UAE sports world is a huge demand and behind that view, the sports infrastructure that the leaders have created is amazing. Apart from games and practice, the convenience of a five-star hotel means that players can Enjoy the beach and nightlife while following the bio-bubble.” Manish Kishore, a cricket fan, saw the 2018 Asian Cup in the UAE and this will be the second Asian Cup to watch.

While veteran Shyam Bhatia, one of the founders of Dubai cricket, recalls that the UAE is now the go-to for all sports organizers on the world stage, there was a time when there was no cricket ground. desert. Gathering 22 players and getting a big field is a huge challenge.

In the 1970s, the Royal Air Force of Sharjah had only one concrete pitch. In 1967, Shyam Bhatia introduced mats in Kolkata, which made playing cricket easier. Then, when Emirati businessman Abdul Rahman Al-Bhatir returned to Sharjah after studying in Pakistan, he organized the first cricket tournament in Sharjah and laid the groundwork for cricket in the UAE Base.

Since then, the company has also prepared its own team, and Shyam Bhatia himself once said that the best players come from India Work at his company so that the team at his company will be strong. That was the period when cricket was officially formed in Sharjah. When Sharjah Stadium was established in 1981, it was like bringing life to UAE cricket. Shyam Bhatia said that no one can deny the contribution of Indians in the rise of cricket in the UAE, from organizers and finances to sports and players, as well as players and good games from Pakistani citizens.

In 1996, under the coaching of Madan Lal, when the UAE qualified for the World Cup for the first time and participated in the World Cup, except for the captain Sultan Zalwani, the entire team was from India and Pakistan. This is the year the UAE takes the international stage, and today, from the ICC headquarters to the T20 World Cup, the IPL, PSL and many more international events are taking place in Dubai.

Shyam Bhatia added that the rise of cricket in the UAE has been driven by 50+ matches in Group A and 30+ matches in Group B and the 4-nation tournament organised by Shyam Bhatia. In the 4-nation tournament, there is a team of local players from India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka and a fourth team, the rest of the world.

The UAE has really come a long way in terms of sports infrastructure and hosting international sporting events. In 1984, the iconic Sharjah Cricket Stadium hosted the first ODI in the United Arab Emirates, located between Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Now, after more than 35 years, it has hosted more than 200 ODIs.

Over the years, the UAE has hosted a variety of sports stars – from Tiger Woods and Lewis Hamilton to Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and more. Even the Williams sisters have played in the UAE. In addition, players from many countries are camping in Dubai ahead of the Olympics, where they are completely immune to the coronavirus and have access to world-class infrastructure and physiotherapy facilities.

With the vision and support of the government, the UAE has firmly established itself as one of the greatest stadiums in the world. Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the UAE has organised several world-class events including UFC Fight Island Abu Dhabi, Dubai World Cup, Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020, Pakistan Premier League (PSL), Australian Open Qualifiers, Dubai Tennis Championships, Abu Dhabi F1 Grand Prix, DP World Tour Championship, 2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers. In the future, the UAE will have a lineup of many large-scale events, as if from the perspective of tourism, economy, and sports.

Several factors have contributed to the UAE being the first choice for hosting cricket tournaments –

* Has three world-class large cricket pitches.
* 7-8 other sports venues of the same level for practice use.
*The distance between stadiums is short, players play one match in Abu Dhabi and travel to Dubai for the next match 2 hours later. The only one-hour drive between Dubai and Sharjah Stadium will cause no fatigue during the journey, keeping players fresh throughout the event.
*World-class competition infrastructure and the availability of many indoor driving ranges also allow weather conditions to affect player convenience.
*In a country with more than 20 football fields, the convenience of a venue is a bargain for any event.
*What makes the UAE special is its legal system. No riots or fights have been recorded at any cricket or football match since the 1980s.
*Never recorded any illegal activities such as black marketing of tickets.
*To date, no violation of any player’s privacy has been observed on or off the field of play.
*The successful hosting of the T20 World Cup and IPL 2020 during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic has boosted the credibility of the UAE Cricket Council. We’ve all seen the science and practical impact of biofoam in big competitions.
* Organize any competition among citizens of 200+ countries to take it to the next level.
* The convenience and affordable availability of 5-star hotels are also important reasons why the UAE is gradually becoming the first choice for such activities.
* Cheap flights and hotels to the UAE, as well as great travel destinations, double the deals for sports fans.

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