DUBAI, (Pakistan Point News - 25th Apr, 2021) Rashid Al Balooshi, who won the 127km Al Salam Cycling Championship race for Emirati amateurs in December, came in first at the 75km Nad Al Sheba sports Tournament Cycling’s Amateur UAE Men’s race on Saturday night.
The race saw a tight finish, in which the top three contestants were separated by only one second.
Saeed Hareb, Secretary-General of Dubai Sports Council and Chairman of Nad Al Sheba Sports Tournament’s Organising Committee, flagged off the race, which featured more than 350 riders of different nationalities, in the presence of Nasser Aman Al Rahma, Assistant Secretary-General of Dubai Sports Council, Hassan Al Mazrouei, Director of NAS Sports Tournament, Adel Al Bannay, Chairman of the Tournament’s Technical Committee, and other UAE Cycling Federation officials.
Al Balooshi, who rides for Trek M7 team, crossed the finish line in one hour, 42 minutes and 41.52 seconds to defeat Khalid Al Thani (Al Shafar), who was a close second, 0.14 seconds behind at 1:42:41.66, while Dubai Police’s Saeed Hassan Safar came in third at 1:42:42.52.
Finishing in first place earned Al Balooshi AED 26,400 in prize money, while Al Thani will receive a cheque of 20,400 and Safar AED 14,400. Those finishing below them, from 4th to 9th, will each be awarded AED 4,800.
"It was a really close race and I am thrilled to finish at the top of the podium," said Al Balooshi. "It was a great team effort and I would like to thank everyone on our Trek M7 team for this win. They worked really hard – extra hard given the tight finish and the intense competition for the title.
"Nad Al Sheba Sports Tournament is one of the most important annual cycling competitions for us and winning this title is a great end to the cycling season for me, and an incentive to work harder for the coming season and participate in more events as a team."
In the FIP stars, an internationally-ranked tournament featuring some of the world’s top padel players, the Spanish team of Antonio Fernandez Cano and Jose Garcia Diestro defeated fellow Spaniards Javier Garcia Mora and Jaime Munoz Enrile 6-2, 7-6 for the men’s title.
In the women’s final, the Italian team of Chiara Pappacena and Giulia Sussarello, who were runners-up in the FIP Rise tournament in Rome last month, beat Frenchwomen Jessica Ginier and Wendy Barsotti 6-3, 6-0. Ginier had won the title in Rome, alongside Alix Collombon.
Dubai Police, Roads and Transport Authority of Dubai, Dubai Municipality and Dubai Corporation for Ambulance Services are the strategic partners for this year’s Nad Al Sheba Sports Tournament, while Dubai Duty Free, Pocari Sweat and Tecnotree have signed up as sponsors for the 8th season of the Tournament, which is one of the largest events, in terms of participation and prize money.
