Sports fans rejoice! The Abu Dhabi Corporate Games are set to bring fierce competition and athleticism to the city from December 12-14.
If you’ve been itching for the 2016 Olympics since last September, then the wait is over. Well, not quite, but you can satisfy the spectator in you this month at the annual Abu Dhabi Corporate Games.
The Abu Dhabi Corporate Games (ADCG) was founded almost three decades ago with the goal of uniting people and organisations from around the globe through athletics. The tradition still continues today, with festivals held in 53 cities across 25 countries around the world.
The world’s largest multi-sport festival will return to the capital for the second time for three days in December. The games will be held at Al Forsan International Sports Resort in Khalifa City, as well as various locations around Abu Dhabi. Featuring 16 different sports and activities, the event promises to be a great way to spend your weekend outdoors.
Fanny Marcout, the CEO of the Abu Dhabi Corporate Games, says, ‘The atmosphere will be electric. This is certainly an event not to be missed in the UAE calendar!’
Registration for the actual games has now closed but they’re still open for the public to watch free of charge.Watch representatives from major local corporations such as Etihad Airways, Spinney’s, Etisalat and
NYU Abu Dhabi compete to win medals in sports ranging from chess to touch rugby.
The events that will be featured in the Al Forsan International Sports Resort include team sports such as basketball, beach volleyball and football. You can also watch more alternative sports such as dragon boat racing, karting, paintball and shooting. There will be a running race, too.
The resort is made up of a large parking lot on the north side next to 12th Street. The entrance is on the south side of the parking lot and feeds directly into the Games Village. To the right as you enter you’ll find the football fields, then further west the rugby fields. Exit the southwest corner of the rugby field and you will be facing the karting track, with the shooting range to your right and the dragon boat lake to your left, located at the south edge of the resort.
Elsewhere, catch ladies-only basketball, five-a-side football, tennis and volleyball competitions at the Sheikh Zayed Academy for Girls in Al Musalla, ten-pin bowling at Marina Mall Bowling Centre and badminton at the Paris-Sorbonne University on Reem Island.
The best days to watch the sporting events at the Abu Dhabi Corporate Games are Friday December 13 and Saturday December 14, because that’s when most of the matches will take place. If you are a fan of athletics, you can also watch races on Thursday December 12 at the track behind the rugby fields, next to the Games Village.
Sports, however, are just part of the action-packed weekend. Aside from the main attractions, a host of other activities will be going on at a Games Village inside the resort on Friday and Saturday. The village will be made up of around 25 tents which will line the entrance across from the football fields.
The tents will host food and drink stalls, and you can practice smashing a racket like the pros with a tennis speed serve simulator for free as well– just remember to warm up first. ADCG sponsor, Gold’s Gym, will have a tent hosting three gym classes a day in the morning, noon and afternoon free of charge.
Afterwards, head to the Traders Hotel tent, where you can pamper your shoulders with a relaxing massage at a discount from the standard hotel rate.
Got kids? Then stop by the kid’s zone where children can have their faces painted to look like their favourite animal. There will also be a bouncy castle and a pony for little ones to ride.
If you are more inclined to exercise your mind, then the Abu Dhabi Chess Club will be offering free tips and lessons to sharpen your chess skills just beyond the running track. Play on two of their giant life-size chess boards.
The games’ opening celebration will feature a parade of athletes around the Games Village at 6.30pm on Friday. Watch as athletes from all of the competing organisations proudly march to initiate this year’s festivities. You can also celebrate the opening ceremony by dancing to live music courtesy of Radio 2’s Mark ‘Sparky’ Pendergast.
The closing ceremony promises to be worth staying for, too, because there will be a medal presentation. Watch as the first, second and third place winners in each contest receive a medal commemorating their achievement. There will also be medals for the participating companies who entered the most competitors and whose representatives received the most medals.
No registration or tickets are necessary to attend as a spectator so just drop by.
The Abu Dhabi Corporate Games will take place December 12-14. Al Forsan International Sports Resort, Khalifa City. For information on timing and location of matches visit www.corporate-games.net.
