• Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium, the home of Al Jazira Football Club, to host the U15 Football Finals on 18 March

 

Abu Dhabi, UAE – 17 March 2023: Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK) has kick-started the second edition of Abu Dhabi Schools Sports Cup, the department’s comprehensive school sports initiative for students across the emirate’s public, private and Charter Schools as well as universities.

 

Aimed at motivating students to practice various types of sports and raising their activity levels and overall physical health within the school community, Abu Dhabi Schools Sports Cup embraces important values such as sportsmanship, collaboration, resilience, and leadership. The second edition of the tournament has seen more than 8,000 students from 200 Abu Dhabi schools taking part in the region’s largest inter-school school sports initiative.

 

Schools Games: additional age categories and new sport disciplines

ADEK has expanded the age categories of boys’ and girls’ football tournaments, which now covers U13, U15, U17, and U19. Over 600 teams started their march to glory in January by competing in the local qualifier tournaments in Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, and Al Dhafra. 

 

On February 25 and 26, the Abu Dhabi Cricket & Sports Hub in Khalifa City was the stage for the Under 13, Under 17 and Under 19 playoffs for boys’ and girls’ teams in the Abu Dhabi Schools Sports Cup, with more than 3,000 players from 111 public, private and Charter schools taking part in the weekend Football Tournament Playoffs, while hundreds of Abu Dhabi families enjoyed various engaging activities at the vibrant fan zone adding to the tournament’s atmosphere.

 

Following action-packed final matches, Cranleigh Abu Dhabi beat Brighton College Abu Dhabi 1-0 in the U13 girls’ category final, while International Community School won the boys’ U13 title after defeating Nahda National Boys School in a clean 2-0

 

In the U17 category finals, Raha International School - Gardens Campus lifted the girls’ competition trophy after edged out Abu Dhabi International Private School 1-0, while Khalifa Bin Zayed School won the boys’ tournament after eclipsing International School of Choueifat (Mushrif) 1-0.

 

In the girls’ U19 category, GEMS American Academy ran out 3-0 winners against Al Andalus Private Academy, while Zayed Al Khair School won the boys’ competition courtesy of a 8-1 victory over Al Nahda National Boys School.  

 

On 18 March, the excitement will reach fever pitch as the Under 15 finals for boys and girls will take place at the renowned Mohammed Bin Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi city. British School Al Khubairat and Brighton College Abu Dhabi will come head-to-head to determine the tournament champions, while International School of Choueifat (Al Ain) boys will face International School of Choueifat (Mushrif). 

 

For its second edition, ADEK has also expanded the Abu Dhabi Schools Sports Cup with the introduction of boys’ and girls’ futsal tournaments for Under 9 (U9) and Under 11 (U11) age categories. More than 250 boys’ and girls’ teams took part in the futsal tournament, with the top 80 teams across the four categories qualified and played for the Futsal Playoffs and Finals on 11-12 March 2023.

 

In the U9 category, Repton School beat Cranleigh Abu Dhabi 2-1 to claim the girls’ title, while an impressive gameplay saw Raha International School - Khalifa City Campus beat New Mezyad to the boys’ title in penalties. As for the U11 category, Brighton College (Bloom Gardens) girls secured penalties win against Cranleigh Abu Dhabi to lift the girls’ title, while SABIS International School- Yas Island beat Al Azm School in penalties to win a well-deserved boys’ title.

Inaugural University Games join Abu Dhabi Schools Sports Cup

Designed to celebrate university sports, the inaugural University Games 2023 saw more than 478 male and female players compete in dedicated basketball, football, and volleyball tournaments. With female events taking place at Zayed University and male events at New York University Abu Dhabi, teams competed to win their individual sports, while the main trophy went to the university with the highest overall combined points.

 

In the female category, UAEU emerged victorious in both football and basketball, while New York University Abu Dhabi clinched top spot in volleyball. The male category was equally thrilling, with New York University Abu Dhabi winning in basketball and UAE University taking honors in volleyball and football. The overall University Games winner was UAE University based on its students’ exceptional performances across all categories. 

 

ADEK Coach the Coaches Program: A unique professional training opportunity

For the second year, ADEK organized its unique Coach the Coaches program to provide physical education teachers with the opportunity to take part in Futsal and Football coaching and empower them to deliver high quality and consistent sports programs to their students. 223 Abu Dhabi-based teachers took part in this in-person training series, which equipped them with the foundational skills to prepare their teams ahead of Abu Dhabi Schools Sports Cup. The training also offered a great introduction for teachers beginning their coaching journey or wishing to expand on their existing coaching experience.