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Abu Dhabi Swimming Festival 2010 A Success |
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Inaugural event attracts more than 700 participants.The inaugural Abu Dhabi Swimming Festival 2010, under the patronage of Abu Dhabi Beaches, took place today attracting more than 1,400 participants and spectators to Abu Dhabi’s Corniche. Honorary starter and VIP guest, Fran Halsall, presented winners of the festival’s feature race – the Waha Capital Abu Dhabi Mile – with a prize fund of AED5,000 each. More than 700 participants battled it out across the festival’s 12 races, including the Etihad Holidays Splash Dash, where the winning male, Serbian Velimir Stjepanovic, 17 years old, and female, South African Megan Mileham,18 years old, were each presented with two business tickets to an Eithad Airways destination in Europe. Group races included the Carboholix School Relays, the Park Rotana Corporate Relays and The National Family Relays. British swimmer Fran Halsall, who recently won five Medals in the Commonwealth Games, acted as honorary started for the Waha Capital Abu Dhabi Mile and the Carboholix Schools Relays, presenting prizes to the lucky winners, as well as signing autographs for the festival’s participants. Hazen Al Nowais, COO, Waha Land - a subsidiary of Waha Capital said: “Abu Dhabi’s inaugural Swimming Festival has been an overwhelming success, with hundreds of people congregating on the Corniche to take part in the festival or cheer-on friends and family . We congratulate the winners of the Waha Capital Abu Dhabi Mile, Velimir Stjepanovic and Megan Mileham, and welcome them to come back and defend their title in 2011. We also praise each and every competitor who crossed the finish line today.” Mileham, winner of the women’s Waha Capital Abu Dhabi Mile and the Etihad Holidays Splash Dash, and member of Hamilton Aquatics Dubai was pleased with her performance, “I have a huge phobia of swimming in the sea so I’m pleased that I did so well. I’m pretty exhausted now, as I’m a sprint swimmer. I’ll be back next year to see if I can win again.” Fellow club member at Hamilton Aquatics and best friend of Megan Mileham, Velimir Stjepanovic, originally from Serbia, also took Gold in both the men’s Waha Capital Abu Dhabi Mile and the Etihad Holidays Splash Dash. He commented: “ I’m really happy with my performance, I knew I would do well. I’ll definitely come back next year – I’ll be more powerful - I’ll do the same again. I’ve been swimming since the age of five; my ultimate aim is to take part in the Olympic Games.” More than 15,000 AED was raised from the event in support of the Abu Dhabi Special Care Centre’s ‘Donate a Brick’ campaign. Out of a total of 718 entrants, more than 110 were children. The eldest competitor was aged 65 years, with the youngest aged 7 years. With more than 700 spectators ranging from kids to grandparents, the inaugural Festival saw a total of 1,400 people on the West Plaza Beach of the Abu Dhabi Corniche. More than 50 UAE nationals also entered the competition. Saeed Al Jasmi, member of the UAE National Swimming Team and Al Wahda Sports Club, who usually trains as a sprint swimmer over distances of 50 and 100 meters, finished 4th in the Waha Capital Abu Dhabi Mile. Omar Mohammed Al Busaidy, Events Expert, Abu Dhabi Beaches, added: “It has been a fantastic morning at the Corniche, with competitors and visitors alike enjoying a community event which showcases Abu Dhabi’s great beaches. Although in its first year the event attracted a number of professional swimmers, as well as competitors from the UAE community and places as far as Ireland and France. We hope to see the festival grow in strength year-on-year.” The Abu Dhabi Swimming Festival 2010 was supported by the Abu Dhabi Sports Council and the UAE Swimming Association. David Lucas, a Dubai resident and race participant, was selected as prize-draw winner for the Etihad Holidays free family holiday to Asia. The National newspaper sponsored the Competitors Village and the family relays. Competitors each received ‘Breakfast on the Beach’ courtesy of the Park Rotana, Abu Dhabi as well as gift packs including Al Ain Water, Capri Sun, and Speedo swim caps. Carboholix, the UAE’s exclusive health food outlet for diabetics, supported the junior relay races and provided free entry for all participating UAE schools. “It’s been a great first year and it gives us a great platform from which to build the event. Congratulations to all the entrants today who conquered the Corniche” commented Jamie Cunningham, the Festival Organiser from Professional Sports Group. |
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