Abu Dhabi’s biggest sports club, Duplays, has finally unveiled its long-awaited new development – a brand new sports park on the beach. So prepare yourselves for seaside versions of all your favourite team sports and fitness classes, bringing a whole new meaning to the phrase ‘beach bum’.
Abu Dhabi Beaches Sports Park is just a stone’s throw away from the semi-circular cluster of restaurants and coffee shops on the Corniche. Measuring a whopping 400m by 200m, the fenced-off area contains sand pitches for touch rugby, football, volleyball, dodgeball and netball. There is also a designated area for pilates and yoga classes, and a general recreational spot for spectators and wiped-out exercisers.
The Corniche is, of course, already used widely during the mornings by sporting groups for bootcamp and jogging sessions, and in the cooler months is a meeting hotspot throughout the day. But, given how attractive the area is, the stretch has always been surprisingly underused in the evenings. Derv Rao, one of the co-founders of Duplays, is expecting to change all this. He hopes to draw as many as 1,500 people down to the park on a weekly basis for the tournaments, leagues, classes and competitions that will be held six nights a week.
‘Sure, people can already play volleyball on the beach,’ he says, ‘but to play at the sports park you have to register online before you come down. So this will always be very well organised – you won’t find yourself in a situation where there will be too many people there to play, or not enough to make up a full team.’ Players can sign up by themselves or as part of a team.
Costs are going to be minimal, at Dhs10 for park entry, or between Dhs30 and 40 to join a class or take part in a sport or activity. ‘If you compare that price to what you’d pay in Abu Dhabi’s gyms for a membership, it works out much cheaper. And, on top of that, as with all Duplays activities, there’s going to be a huge social element, which is an extra benefit,’ he explains.
Players will be able to book courts for private use, and Derv also expects a lot of corporate teams to host events there too, both social and sporting. Promotional nights will be targeted at involving as many sections of the community as possible. Tuesday nights, for example, will have beach volleyball games for the city’s teachers, and Wednesday night will be a social night specifically aimed at new residents looking to get out and get active.
Ladies won’t have to worry about over-curious gentlemen spectators either, because all men are banned from the site for one day a week. ‘Monday night will be ladies’ night, so the whole area will be exclusively open to females. The admin staff, trainers and first aiders will all be women,’ says Derv. And, because the whole park is not visible from the roadside at all, this means girls will be able to relax and train in complete privacy.
So, whether it’s sandy-footed soccer you’re interested in, or a session of yoga with the sea breeze on your face, get down to the water, because the Corniche is the place to do it.
Register at www.duplays.com. Signing up in advance is essential, or you won’t be able to join in
