Commercial Bank of Dubai and Dubai Sports Council launch 2nd edition of 'CBD Youth Athletics Competition'

This is Dubai's biggest athletics tournament for talented young athletes from public and private schools. The 2012-13 seasons will be launched in November and the finals will be held in February next year. The tournament will be supported by Dubai Police, which will provide the venue and facilities of the Police Officers Club in Dubai.

Faisal Galadari, General Manager - Business Group, CBD said: "We at Commercial Bank of Dubai are thrilled to conduct the exciting CBD Youth Athletics Competition for the second year, in partnership with the Dubai Sports Council. This tournament has succeeded in establishing itself as the main athletics event for youth. It contributes significantly to elevating the UAE's sports sector in general, and school sports in particular. This competition embodies the vision of our government, led by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum - UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai - to strengthen school sports into a springboard from which promising talents can blossom to carry our nation's flag high on the world stage."

Mr Galadari added: "Commercial Bank of Dubai is proud to fulfill one of its social responsibility objectives through this important initiative. Not only will it give the youth entertainment and exercise from a social perspective, but from an educational perspective too, it teaches youth vital lessons about spending their leisure time productively by staying healthy and motivated."

Mr Galadari concluded by saying: "We anticipate that the second edition of the CBD Youth Athletics Competition will attract even more participants than the inaugural edition, thus entrenching its reputation as the UAE's largest and most important school championship for junior athletics. Overall we are greatly excited about the upcoming competition."

H.E. Dr Ahmed Al-Sharif, Secretary General of Dubai Sports Council commented: "We are delighted to renew our collaboration with Commercial Bank of Dubai in organizing the second edition of this tournament. This initiative greatly contributes to fulfilling our Strategic Plan for 2011-15. We are committed to collaborating with diverse organizations - both sporting and non-sporting - from the public and private sectors. Our goal is to help develop the talents of athletes in various sports so that they can succeed on the world stage. In all these endeavors we are immensely grateful for the generous support of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed."

He added: "We thank Commercial Bank of Dubai for continuing to invest a substantial sum for this tournament's organization, as well as allocating extremely attractive prizes, incentives and awards to motivate athletes to aim higher. This tournament does not only develop training facilities for team and individual sports, but also helps youth to discover their sporting talents. In addition it encourages teamwork and a healthier lifestyle through exercise."

The overall aim of the tournament is to elevate the quality of sports in Dubai, by nurturing teamwork between various government departments, corporate sponsors and other partners. Ultimately this will help Dubai's athletes to achieve greater success on the international stage. Simultaneously, youth will learn the value of fair play, the rewards of intensive preparation and the benefits of teamwork.

The categories for both boys and girls encompass Under-12, Under-15 and an additional boys' categories for Under-17. To compete, participants must be registered at a public or private school in Dubai. The participants should also mandatorily obtain medical clearance prior to enrollment. For track events, the running distances include 60m, 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m and 1500m, besides relay races. The field events include long jump, high jump and shot put. The preliminary qualifiers will be held on 9, 10, 23 and 24 November this year, while the finals will take place on February 9, 2013.

The technical committee comprises senior representatives from the UAE Athletics Federation. This committee will ensure that all races and events adhere to the regulations, while also overseeing the distribution of prizes and medals to all winners.

The mascot of the tournament is Maher, a Tmimah or desert cat. It was chosen due to its inspiring attributes of being fast, intelligent and agile - qualities which it shares with athletes. It can travel up to 10km in search of food, and even though it is an endangered species, it has shown its competitive spirit which allows it to survive and thrive.