CNN Hhighlights Abu Dhabi’s Sports Stories

In a special POV: Abu Dhabi, CNN explores the city of Abu Dhabi through the prism of sports, from figure skating to jiu-jitsu champions.

Abu Dhabi is attracting fans from around the world as well as developing homegrown sporting talent. Yousif Mirza has been a pro cyclist since 2007, riding for the UAE men’s world tour and national teams. He speaks about how the sport has changed since he began, “Abu Dhabi, it’s become the landmark of cycling in the Middle East. It’s a really, really, big, big difference between past and now, the mentality in the people, what they are thinking about cycling. It’s become a lifestyle.”

With its Bike Abu Dhabi initiative and expanding its network of tracks to host international competitions, the city has become a cycling destination. The UAE’s first female pro cyclist Safiya AlSayegh explains why she loves cycling in the region, “I like cycling in the desert, you’ve got the beautiful sand dunes and all the tones with the sun and the different weather. It’s a different experience that many may enjoy.”

Mirza discusses his pride when other athletes from the UAE compete internationally, “When I see my city and my country get that title or name, I was really proud between my teammates. And it does give us more motivation, more for moving forward for the future.”

The Zayed Sports City is the host of international competitions and also the home of Abu Dhabi’s only ice rink. UAE national figure skating champion Zahra Lari was the first skater to compete wearing a headscarf. Although she may have retired from competing professionally, Lari is focused on training the future of the sport, “I’m focused on the next generation. I really love seeing their progress, whether it is they’re learning a new jump and they actually finally, after months of trying, they get that jump and just seeing the smile on their face.”

Gazelles and golf are not the most obvious pairing but that is what Ahmed Al Musharrekh, the UAE’s first and only pro golfer loves about the course on Saadiyat Island. He tells CNN, “What I love about Saadiyat and what separates it, for me, from every other golf club is, besides the, the amazing golf is the animals that are on the golf course. For me, being an animal lover is just amazing to come out here seeing the gazelles, the falcons, and the different species of animals is just something that I enjoy.”

He continues, “Abu Dhabi is great for golf. I think it has really grown over the last 20 years. It’s definitely a tourism destination for golfers of all levels to train, to compete, to play. A great experience for everyone.”

Saadiyat Island is the venue for this year’s European Tour’s Abu Dhabi Challenge. The region has been hosting increasing numbers of international tournaments. Musharrekh says, “We are very proud of Abu Dhabi for them to take on that leading role with the golf and especially not just having European tour events, but also challenge tour events.”

Finally, jiu-jitsu world champion Faisal AlKetbi describes how the city has become a hub for the sport, “We see a lot of people coming around visiting Abu Dhabi just to see a certain competition or certain event. Abu Dhabi is the capital of jiu-jitsu. We have more than 15 competitions under UAEJJ.”

The UAE national team has a gruelling training schedule for the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam World Tour, competing in five cities, starting in Rio de Janeiro and finishing in front of a home crowd in Abu Dhabi. AlKetbi sums up what it means to return to Abu Dhabi and to the Wahat Al Karama, “As jiu-jitsu players, we believe that a strong mind, a strong thinker, a strong believer is more better than just a fighter – that’s why this is my Abu Dhabi – this is where I bring all my thoughts back, I look forward to the future.”