Players in action during a Padel Championship match on the opening day of the Nad Al Sheba (NAS) Sports Tournament.

Gulf Today, Staff Reporter

The much-anticipated ninth edition of the Nad Al Sheba (NAS) Sports Tournament got underway on Saturday night with exciting duels in the NAS Padel Championship on the courts of Nad Al Sheba Sports Complex.

Held under the patronage of Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Council Executive Director of the Emirate of Dubai, and organised by the Dubai Sports Council, the NAS Sports Tournament has been one of the top sporting attractions during the Holy Month of Ramadan since 2013.

In the opening match of the championship, Guillermo Villafane Martin and Ahmed Khalid Hussain stormed into the next round with an easy 6-0, 6-0 win over Salem Bin Beshait Al Shamsi and Enrique Gonzalez.

Salem Alhouli Ali and Javier Quiros Garcia defeated Mubarak Al Ketbi and Sigi Meews 6-3, 6-0, while Saeed Mohammed Al Marri and Javier Garcia Lopez brushed aside their rivals, Ali Al Marzooqi Sharif and Camille Gouju, 6-0, 6-0.

In other matches, Abdulla Ahli Ahmad and Sergio Icardo Alcorisa posted a comfortable win over their opponents, Omair Al Zarooni Adel and Karl Shafik Mouchantaf; Abdulkarim Alarif Abdulla Abdulkarim and Farhan Hudda Hudda were taken the distance by Saood Al Arif Abdulaziz and Sami Al Sayyaed before prevailing 4-6, 6-4, 10-4 to book their place in the second round.

This year’s NAS Padel Championship also features a GCC Men’s Team Championship taking place alongside the UAE Padel Association tournament, which will feature competitions in six different categories: UAEPA Beginner-Men; UAEPA Intermediate-Men; UAEPA Advance-Men; UAEPA PRO-Men; Doubles-Men; and UAEPA Intermediate-Women.

Competitions in volleyball, archery, padel, wheelchair basketball, running, cycling, and jiu-jitsu are part of the ongoing largest annual sports tournament.

On the opening day of the event, there was a large turnout of young Emiratis and fans from different nationalities who came to enjoy the Ramadan atmosphere at Nad Al Sheba Sports Village, established by the organizing committee in the square opposite the Padel Tennis Hall.

Some exciting jiu-jitsu clashes are on the cards on the second day of the NAS Tournament.

The previous seasons of the event attracted top talent from across the UAE.

"We have seen high interest from both citizens and residents since the announcement of the NAS Tournament," said Yousef Al Batran, board member of the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation (UAEJJF).

"The event has a sizable fan following and occupies a significant place on the national sports calendar because of the diversity of categories and accessibility it offers.

"To be honest, we were amazed by the large number of people registered to compete in the tournament – more than 200 until now. It really provides players a wonderful opportunity to expand their expertise and improve their skills ahead of upcoming tournaments."

Meanwhile, the archery competition will start on Monday and is open to UAE nationals and expats.

The archery championship will take place in five categories, including compound-men 18+, recurve-men 18+, recurve-youth 14-17, recurve-women 16+, and compound-men (People of Determination).

The top three archers in each category will receive medals (gold, silver, and bronze) and prize money.

The fans also have the chance to win four Ford 2022 cars provided by Al Tayer Motors.

The past eight editions of the Nad Al Sheba Sports Tournament have attracted more than 33,000 amateur and professional male and female athletes of different ages and nationalities to participate in various sports competitions, which have contributed to the spread of the game and the emergence of a generation of promising athletes in various sports.