try new activities for Dubai Fitness Challenge
Many pupils and students get in on the fun with less traditional sports
Youngsters across Dubai have been replacing sums and science with sport, to learn about the importance of staying fighting fit.
More than 2,000 free events were part of the second annual Dubai Fitness Challenge – which kicked off on October 26 and crosses the finish line on Saturday – and schools were more than happy to take up the baton.
While traditional pursuits such as running and cycling were on offer, many educators in the emirate reaped rich rewards by going off the beaten track.
Shahed Abusall, a Grade 7 pupil at Gems Al Barsha National School for Girls, has developed a love for fencing.
After Shahed, 11, picked up a sabre for her first foray into fencing, she decided she wanted to take up the sport.
“Learning about the history of fencing was fun and interesting,” she said.
Khatera Al Tayer, 11, a pupil at the same school, enjoyed fencing so much that she plans to continue competing after the challenge is over.
“I like the fact that when you are playing, you use all your muscles and strength. Before I fenced, I didn’t know much about it,” she said.
Sarah Albouhy, 10, an Egyptian pupil, said that although she was apprehensive at first, she enjoyed the sport.
Aya Al Sayegh, another seventh grader, believes fencing is an activity many women in the country can participate in.
“It takes concentration but is fun,” she said. “I feel like it’s a sport I can continue in the future because even if you wear a hijab you can do it. It’s good to do something different from the common sports, although it requires a lot of thought and action,” she said.
The festival of fitness, enjoyed by nearly a million people last year, encourages people to exercise for 30 minutes a day, for 30 days.
Little ones at Hartland International School raced while wearing superhero costumes, while kabaddi matches were played at the Indian High School.
Mohammed Al Suwaidi, an Emirati architecture student at Amity University in Dubai, has been riding horses since he was seven but never had the chance to play polo.
Mr Al Suwaidi fell in love with the game when he tried it the first time during Dubai Fitness Challenge.
“Polo was something new for me and I was really looking forward to it. I was scared and excited when I started the game, but now I am encouraged to learn more about the game and continue to play it,” he said.
A team from Amity University played a game against a side from the Knowledge and Human Development Authority.
“We had a lot of fun practising, and it was a new experience for us.
Hartland International School in Dubai organised a 24-hour rowing challenge in which the teachers took part to motivate pupils.
Many staff members, from the school’s lifeguard to the head teacher, got involved.
“There is a participation element to sports that often gets overlooked. If people come together as a group and commit to something, the effort can be really special.
“Our message is one of community and working towards a common purpose,” said Niall Statham, head of physical education at Hartland International School.
The teachers were part of one team and completed the challenge by rowing for 24 hours. None of the team members are rowers and were rowing in shifts. While each member must participate for a minimum of 15 minutes, some went for hours.
“We felt we had done many things for the pupils but we wanted them to know it’s not just about results. We wanted them to know that an ordinary group of teachers can come together and complete a challenge like this,” said Mr Statham said.
Dubai Fitness Challenge ends on Saturday, with a carnival at Burj Park.
It’s good to do something different from the common sports, although it requires a lot of thought and action AYA AL SAYEGH Grade 7 student