Putting the up in a World Cup

More than 210 para-powerlifters representing 42 nations set to compete here in Dubai this month

Dubai, February 11, 2016 - The seventh Fazza IPC Powerlifting World Cup Dubai 2016 will have lift-off on Friday (February 12th), with 210 participants from 42 countries all set to compete for much-prized podium places at the Dubai Club for the Disabled across nine days until next Saturday (February 20th).

This latest edition is being held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum, the Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Dubai Sports Council (DSC) and organized and supervised by the Dubai Club for the Disabled with the support of their strategic partners the Hamdan Bin Mohammed Heritage Center (HHC), the International Paralympic Committee, the General Authority for Youth and Sports Welfare (GAYSW), the DSC and the UAE Paralympic Committee.

“Dubai is one of only three cities on the entire planet to be tasked with organizing a World Cup tournament and that - in itself - is an achievement of which we are extremely proud,” said Thani Juma Berregad, Chairman of the Dubai Club for the Disabled and Head of the Organizing Committee for the Fazza Championships for People with Disability, at the official launch press conference on Tuesday (Today).

“There is no doubting that this prestigious championship has helped put Dubai, and the UAE, on the global map when it comes to international sports tournaments and - with this in mind - we intend to sign an agreement with the International Paralympic Committee on the sidelines of this competition to secure the staging of it here for the next five years.”

Majid Abdullah Al Usaimi, Executive Director at the Dubai Club for the Disabled and Director of the Fazza Championships for the Disabled, commented: “This tournament has reached an excellent standard and consequently attained a global appeal. That’s borne out by the fact we have 218 competitors representing 42 nations spanning different continents of the world in this seventh edition, including a select group of Paralympic gold medalists, world champions and record holders.

He added: “We’ve been working diligently on developing this competition for many years and, thankfully, it has achieved a level of success that has far exceeded our own initial expectations. Hosting athletes from 42 nations for this edition emphasizes our ability to organize world-class events in Dubai, which has the necessary infrastructure, organizational competence and - most importantly - the human willpower. That’s what has transformed this tournament into the World Cup it is today here in Dubai.”

Souad Ibrahim Darwish, Director of Championships at the Hamdan Bin Mohammed Heritage Center (HHC), stated: “We’re proud of our strategic partnership with the Dubai Club for the Disabled and to help support them in the successful staging of a global sports event that involves such a large gathering of world-class athletes from around the world. This tournament reflects the vision of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum, the Crown Prince of Dubai, to transform this emirate into an entirely disabled-friendly city by 2020 through the initiative: ‘My community…a city for everyone.’ We hope that this tournament represents an opportunity for our athletes to compete against world champions, gain more experience and skills and uphold the UAE flag on the world stage.” 

Darwish continued: “To this end, the Hamdan Bin Mohammed Heritage Center has mobilized all possible efforts to: contribute to the success of this tournament; enhance the current efforts of the Dubai government in terms of empowering people with disabilities and support the integration and participation of this important category in society.”

Ahmed Al Hammadi, the Chairman of the Technical Committee for the Fazza Championships for the Disabled, added: “This tournament will provide UAE para-powerlifters with an opportunity to compete against the very best in the world. They will be looking to gain more experience and improve their skills in the pursuit of a strong presence at the next Paralympics Games in Rio de Janeiro. The competition will be fierce among the elite this year and our UAE para-powerlifters will be doing their utmost to improve upon their scores and set new personal bests.”

Hamad Biljaflah, the Head of the Public Relations Committee for the Fazza IPC Powerlifting World Cup Dubai 2016, stated: “We’ve completed our preparations for the start of the tournament, whereby we’ve formulated an integrated plan for all of the athletes and delegates from the moment of their arrival until their eventual departure. We’ve also formed taskforces to provide support to the participants either at their respective hotels, in competition or at training. In addition, we will be organising recreational trips and tours outside of competition times in order to showcase some notable attractions here in the UAE.”

The 42 countries competing at this year’s event are as follows: Algeria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Canada, Colombia, Egypt, Finland, France, Georgia, Ghana, Great Britain, Hungary, India, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Ivory Coast, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Mongolia, Morocco, the Netherlands, Oman, the Philippines, Poland, Russia, Serbia , Saudi Arabia, Slovakia, South Africa, South Korea, Syria, Thailand, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Vietnam and tournament hosts the United Arab Emirates.