UAE President honours Shabab Al Ahli team for title-winning season
President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has honoured members of the Shabab Al Ahli football team for an exceptional season at a special ceremony in Abu Dhabi's Qasr Al Bahr.
The team was celebrated for securing the UAE President's Cup, ADNOC Pro League title, UAE Super Cup and UAE-Qatar Super Cup.
Sheikh Mohamed congratulated the players, head coach and both administrative and technical staff, along with the club's supporters.
He also thanked all the teams that participated in these competitions, praising their strong sporting and competitive spirit, which continue to raise the level of football in the UAE and strengthen its reputation on the local, regional and international stage.
Sheikh Mohamed affirmed the UAE's commitment to advancing the sports sector as part of its broader vision to attain leading positions in various regional and international sporting arenas.
The players, along with the club's administrative and technical teams, thanked Sheikh Mohamed for his continued support for the sports sector.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The National
2 hours ago
- The National
World Cup 2026: Can UAE qualify automatically if they beat Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan?
Cosmin Olaroiu will oversee his first fixtures as UAE manager when the national team play Uzbekistan on Thursday and then travel to face Kyrgyzstan on Tuesday. The Romanian coach has enjoyed a glittering career in the club game in the region. Now, his first assignments with the UAE could scarcely be any more significant. The national team are still in with an outside chance of making it automatically to the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico. But Olaroiu is going to have to work some magic to make it happen. State of play The top two teams in the group advance directly to the main event. Iran are already assured of one of those places. The UAE and Uzbekistan are the only two sides mathematically in contention for the second. Ahead of the final two matches in the group, the Uzbeks are second, and have a four-point cushion over the national team. With six points left to play for, there is no margin for error for the UAE – but there is still a chance. The permutations To keep the dream alive, the UAE have to beat the Uzbeks when they play at Al Nahyan Stadium – the home of Al Wahda Club – on Thursday evening. If they do that, they will move to within a point of them ahead of the last round of matches on Tuesday. The national team do have one thing in their favour. Their goal difference is superior to the Uzbeks. It means that if they do win on Thursday, Olaroiu's side would have to better what Uzbekistan do in their respective final matches on Tuesday. Meaning, if the UAE beat Kyrgyzstan in Bishkek, and the Uzbeks draw or lose at home to Qatar, the national team would qualify for the World Cup. If the UAE were to draw in Kyrgyzstan, that would also be enough if Uzbekistan lost to Qatar. Is there a fall back option? Sultan Adil's dramatic stoppage time winner to beat North Korea in Riyadh in the UAE's most recent qualifier was not enough to save Paulo Bento's job as manager. It did, though, guarantee the UAE a place in the next phase of qualifying – as a minimum if they don't go through automatically. The third and fourth placed teams in the three groups in the current phase of qualifying will enter into a six-team repechage event. The sides will be split into two groups of three, at a centralized venue, from October 8 to 14. The teams will play two matches in the group, and the sides who finish top will make it to the World Cup. And after that? The qualifying process might seem never-ending, but it will eventually finish at some point. The two runners up in the three-team groups in the competition in October will face each other home and away in November. The winner will go to a six-team intercontinental play-off in March next year. That will include sides from Africa and the Americas, plus New Caledonia from the Oceania confederation. This event – played in one of the three countries hosting the World Cup – will decide the last two teams to play at the main event.
Khaleej Times
12 hours ago
- Khaleej Times
Dubai's powerhouse stable Godolphin takes aim at flat racing's biggest week
The first weekend of June launched a high-stakes two weeks for UAE-linked stables across Europe and the UK with Godolphin's Cualificar setting the stage after a valiant run in the Group 1 Prix du Jockey Club (French Derby) at Chantilly on Sunday. Trained by the legendary André Fabre, the son of Lope de Vega came within striking distance of Classic Glory, only to be edged out by Camille Pissarro in the closing strides of the 1m2½f contest. Ridden with tactical precision by Godolphin's retained jockey William Buick, Cualificar raced prominently in third before mounting a determined challenge in the straight, eventually finishing just half a length behind the Aidan O'Brien-trained winner, Camille Pissarro. Arc On the Radar 'Cualificar put up a very solid effort,' said Buick. ' I thought we ended up in a nice position and he did everything that I asked of him. The winner is a good horse, but I think that Cualificar will possibly get a bit further. He may get an Arc prep now and he doesn't lack for quality. It was a very good run.' It was a performance worthy of his lineage, echoing the class of sire Lope de Vega and grandsire Shamardal, both Prix du Jockey Club winners themselves, the latter having won the race in Godolphin blue in 2005 with Frankie Dettori aboard. While a French Derby win proved elusive this year it was a reassuring performance for the global racing powerhouse built by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. Godolphin now turns its full focus to an explosive Derby weekend at Epsom Downs, followed by major American targets on the horizon. With Cualificar potentially aimed at the G1 Grand Prix de Paris next, the spotlight now turns to a formidable lineup of Classic contenders poised to take on the biggest races of the season. On Friday at Epsom, Desert Flower, an unbeaten daughter of Night Of Thunder, bids to become the 50th filly in history to complete the 1,000 Guineas–Oaks double, following her commanding display at Newmarket. Also undefeated, Good Cheer heads back into battle in the G1 Acorn Stakes at Belmont on the same day. The Kentucky Oaks winner has dismantled every challenge so far and remains one of the standout fillies in North America. Sovereignty Aims at Belmont Stakes Saturday brings the most ambitious targets yet. Sovereignty, Godolphin's Kentucky Derby hero, eyes a historic run in the G1 Belmont Stakes, the final leg of the US Triple Crown, where he will once again face Journalism, his nearest rival at Churchill Downs. In the UK, Ruling Court seeks to emulate Camelot (2012) as the first horse since to win both the 2,000 Guineas and Epsom Derby, with support from stablemate Tornado Alert, who was fourth at Newmarket and is expected to improve. This surge of Classic contenders is a nod to the legacy of Sheikh Mohammed, whose famous maroon silks won the French Derby in 1989 with Old Vic, trained by the late-great Sir Henry Cecil and ridden by Steve Cauthen - a moment that predates the arrival of the Godolphin stable but helped lay the foundation for its birth. With their horses now spread across continents and firing in every Classic division it's another reminder of Godolphin's vast influence and unwavering pursuit of excellence across borders.
Al Etihad
15 hours ago
- Al Etihad
Theyab bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan witnesses signing of agreement between Open Masters Games Abu Dhabi 2026 and ADNOC
2 June 2025 18:35 ABU DHABI (ALETIHAD)His Highness Sheikh Theyab bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Chairman of the Presidential Court for Development and Fallen Heroes' Affairs, and Chairman of the Supreme Organising Committee for the Open Masters Games Abu Dhabi 2026, witnessed the signing of a sponsorship agreement between the games and ADNOC. Under the agreement, ADNOC will become the official Presenting Sponsor of the first-ever edition of the event to be held in the Middle agreement was signed in the presence of His Excellency Dr Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, and Managing Director and Group CEO of ADNOC, and His Excellency Mohammed Al Junaibi, Vice Chairman of the Open Masters Abu Dhabi 2026 Organising Committee. The signatories were His Excellency Aref Hamad Al Awani, General Secretary of the Abu Dhabi Sports Council, and Saif Al Falahi, ADNOC, Director of Group Business Support and Special Tasks. Senior officials from both parties and prominent local athletes were also in attendance. Furthermore, the event featured the official unveiling of the logo for the Open Masters Games Abu Dhabi 2026, which is inspired by the UAE's diverse natural landscape, and the games' ethos of healthy living and community values. The ceremony underscored the leadership's long-term commitment to fostering social cohesion and pursuing active lifestyles, while positioning the UAE as a global hub for longevity and Excellency Aref Hamad Al Awani, said: 'We are delighted to welcome ADNOC as the Presenting Sponsor of the Open Masters Games Abu Dhabi 2026. This is a collaboration that reflects our shared commitment to empowering communities, promoting healthy lifestyles, and showcasing the UAE on the global sporting stage. With ADNOC's support, we will deliver a world-class event that celebrates inclusion, heritage, and excellence, while inspiring people of all ages and backgrounds to embrace the joy of sport.'His Excellency added that the partnership demonstrates the UAE's national vision across health, inclusion, and sustainable community development, in addition to reflecting the country's world-class infrastructure and deep cultural legacy, reinforcing its reputation as a premier host of major global Al Falahi, added: 'ADNOC is proud to support the Open Masters Games Abu Dhabi 2026 as Presenting Sponsor, reinforcing our commitment to promoting healthier, more active lifestyles and stronger communities. In the UAE Year of Community, this important event will harness the power of sports to unite communities, enhance wellbeing, and inspire national pride. We look forward to welcoming competitors and their friends and families from around the world to what promises to be an unforgettable event in the UAE.'The Open Masters Games Abu Dhabi 2026 will take place in the UAE in February 2026 and are expected to welcome more than 25,000 participants from around the world. The games will feature 33 sports across multiple disciplines and age categories, including senior citizens, providing an inclusive and memorable experience for all. In a unique celebration of the UAE's heritage, the games will also feature traditional Emirati sports, including dhow sailing, falconry, and camel racing, in addition to 18 disciplines that will be open to People of Determination. The Open Masters Games Abu Dhabi 2026 aims to go beyond sport, serving as a platform to enhance physical and mental wellbeing, encourage participation, and strengthen intergenerational bonds. The games are expected to positively impact several key sectors such as sport, tourism, and the economy, leaving a long-term and sustainable legacy that extends far beyond the sports arena.
