Latest news with #TeamAbuDhabi
Gulf Today
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Gulf Today
Mansoori to lead Team AD in F1H2O World Championship
The Abu Dhabi Marine Sports Club (ADMSC) has officially announced the signing of Emirati racer Mansour Al Mansoori to join the Abu Dhabi Formula 1 powerboat racing team, succeeding veteran champion Thani Al Qemzi, who recently retired after an illustrious career spanning over 25 years. Mansoori's selection to represent the team in the UIM F1H2O World Championship comes following the unanimous recommendation of the team's management and technical staff, who recognized his exceptional abilities and outstanding performances during his previous participations with Team Abu Dhabi in Formula 2 competitions, as well as his physical and technical readiness to take on this global challenge. His first official appearance will be at the opening round of the 2025 UIM F1H2O World Championship in Indonesia, marking a new chapter in his sporting career as he carries the team's ambitions to maintain its leading position in the world championship. The Abu Dhabi Marine Sports Club expressed full confidence in Mansoori, praising his fighting spirit and high ambitions, and reaffirming the team's full support to help him achieve the desired results and continue raising the UAE flag at international events. Mansour Al Mansoori 'Mansoori has shown great determination in F2, and we believe it is the right time to test him in F1. At the same time, keeping Rashid in F2 was a strategic choice – his experience and competitive strength are vital to our continued success in that class,' said Guido Cappellini, Team Manager of Abu Dhabi. Nicolo di San Germano, F1H2O President and Founder, expressed his sadness at seeing such a long-standing driver bowing out, adding: 'After a quarter of a century of racing, the World Championship just won't feel the same without him. From all of us at F1H2O, we are incredibly grateful for the countless great moments Al Qamzii has given us throughout the years. We all wish him the best with his new adventures.' The opening round of the 2025 UIM F1H2O World Championship is just over a weeks away but, as the shipment of boats and equipment makes its way to deepest Sumatra in good time for the first Grand Prix of the season on August 22-24, drivers and team members have been busying themselves in preparation for five races in as many months. While the main focus will be on the town of Balige on Lake Toba in mid-August, the likes of the F1 Atlantic Team's Ben Jelf and Duarte Benavente, Stromoy Racing's Marit Stromoy, the China CTIC Team's Peter Morin, the Sharjah Team's Rusty Wyatt and Stefan Arand, and Victory Team's Shaun Torrente have been keeping match fit by competing in other racing disciplines over recent weeks. Double World Champion Sami Selio has been mentoring his 14-year-old son Sisu to become champion in the prestigious World Sailing Zoom8 Championships in Germany. As well as carrying out a test programme with Team Abu Dhabi, Erik Stark has been relaxing with an impressive motor racing simulator to fine tune his reactions in advance of the new season. The Maverick Racing team and Cedric Deguisne have spent a lot of time in the pre-season organising their own race at Macon in France, which was the opening round of this year's French Championship. Defending champion Jonas Andersson has been relaxing away from the sport in his native Scandinavia, working on water craft, giving rides in his two-seater boat and taking some time on a trial bike away from the high-pressure environment of the F1H2O paddock. The Frovi resident, who claimed the UIM F1H2O World Championship title in 2021, 2023 and 2024, will revert to running under the Team Sweden banner in 2025, with whom he won the UIM F1H2O Teams' Championship in 2023.
Al Etihad
15-07-2025
- Automotive
- Al Etihad
Team Abu Dhabi gears up to defend UIM F2 World Championship title in Lithuania
15 July 2025 14:10 ABU DHABI (WAM)Team Abu Dhabi will take part in the second round of the UIM F2 World Championship hosted by the city of Klaipėda, Lithuania, on July 18 and 19. The event will see fierce competition among an elite lineup of the world's top powerboat team will be represented in this round by boat No. 1, driven by reigning world champion Rashed Al Qemzi, alongside boat No. 35, piloted by Mansoor Al Mansoori. Both will be aiming to defend the championship title secured last season and continue Team Abu Dhabi's remarkable record in the champion Rashed Al Qemzi and teammate Mansoor Al Mansoori are preparing for this critical round in Lithuania, especially after the setbacks they faced in the opening round of the season held in Brindisi, Italy, last June. Al Qemzi suffered a technical failure that forced him out of contention, while Al Mansoori's boat capsized in the final laps of the Abu Dhabi is determined to bounce back strongly and secure a positive result in Lithuania to reestablish themselves in the title race for the 2025 season, which includes four more rounds—continuing in Italy and concluding with the final two rounds in Portugal this opening round of the championship saw Britain's Matthew Palfreyman clinch victory, with France's Peter Morin finishing second and Sweden's Wilmer Wiberg in Qemzi remains one of the top contenders for this year's crown, boasting an impressive record of five world titles, making him the most decorated and favoured driver among the of the Team Abu Dhabi delegation, Nasser Al Dhaheri, emphasised the importance of the upcoming round as a pivotal stage in their quest to retain the world title. 'We are fully aware of the level of competition in a championship of this magnitude and history. Our goal is to maintain the title and perform in a way that honours the UAE's name,' he said.
The National
10-07-2025
- Sport
- The National
Ahmed Raza grateful for opportunity to guide ILT20 champions Dubai Capitals in Global Super League
After guiding the UAE team for a number of years as their captain before transitioning to coaching, Ahmed Raza will add another feather to his cap after being entrusted with coaching DP World International League T20 champions Dubai Capitals in the Global Super League invitational tournament in Guyana, which starts on Thursday. The former UAE spinner was part of the technical staff of the Capitals side that clinched their maiden ILT20 title after defeating Desert Vipers in a last-over thriller in the final in February. It marked a significant milestone in the cricket journey of Raza, 36, who had retired from the game to take up a coaching role at the Emirates Cricket Board in 2023. Having cut his cricket career short at the age of 34, Raza has taken up coaching full-time. He is the head coach of the UAE women's national team and has also been part of the technical staff of both Dubai Capitals and Team Abu Dhabi in the Abu Dhabi T10 over the past two seasons. Now, Raza is relishing the chance to guide the franchise in an overseas competition. 'The experience of being part of the technical staff with both Dubai Capitals and Team Abu Dhabi has been invaluable,' Raza told The National over a video call from Guyana on Wednesday. 'And now heading the team to the GSL is definitely a bigger role and obviously a great feeling. 'My gratitude towards the GMR Group for trusting my ability and giving me this opportunity to lead in a newer franchise tournament.' The former left-arm spinner, who played 51 ODIs, 54 T20Is and 20 first-class games for the UAE in a career spanning 17 years, is relishing his new role. 'It's a franchise [Capitals] with a rich history in cricket. To represent as a head coach in a global tournament is unheard of for someone who is a full product of the UAE,' he says with a broad smile. 'I mean, you've probably never had a UAE-born coach going global. I'm not only representing the Capitals, I'm representing our own home brand, which is ILT20 and the Emirates Cricket Board. I'm a product of the UAE cricket board. I've not played cricket anywhere else. 'This is my home. So, to be able to represent the country and represent us on the global stage, I am full of gratitude for the opportunity. 'One thing is trusting your ability, the second is to deliver. So hopefully, we can deliver. May this partnership continue.' Raza has used his knowledge of the local cricket scene to promote talent. He had a say in bringing in wicketkeeper-batter Rahul Chopra and left-arm spinner Haider Ali into the franchise. Chopra is now the UAE ODI captain and Haider made a dream debut in the UAE's 2-1 win in the bilateral T20 series against Bangladesh at Sharjah in May. 'Scouting local talents was my primary role for the Capitals. I have worked with them both, Rahul and Haider, closely and it's very pleasing to see them going on to international cricket and doing well for the country,' Raza said. 'I'm the bridge between the coaches and the players. So there's a lot of communication which goes back and forth.' The Capitals take on New Zealand's Super Smash champions Central Stags in the tournament opener at the Providence Stadium on Thursday. The tournament pits five franchise league winners against one another, including Australia's Big Bash champions Hobart Hurricanes, Caribbean Premier League winners Guyana Amazon Warriors and Bangladesh Premier League's Rangpur Riders. 'The talent which is on show in the GSL is absolutely brilliant and everyone is eager to get the tournament started,' Raza said. 'The quality of teams here and the players on show … you get the winners of different franchises coming together and playing in a tournament. It's a great platform for the players. 'In my team, everyone is eager to get going. The players have arrived from different parts of the world. We took a day and a half to give everyone a bit of rest, did some strength and conditioning work to get their bodies ready. We had a couple of good sessions and now just waiting for the first game. 'We are going to play the opening game. So we are going to set the tone of the tournament. Hopefully, we get two points on the board to start with.' The Capitals suffered a minor setback as three of their UAE players, Alishan Sharafu, Haider Ali and Muhammad Jawadullah, had to be replaced. They were called up for national duty for the Pearl of Africa quadrangular series against Namibia A, Kenya and hosts Uganda from next week. 'National duty comes first,' Raza added. 'We already have Khalid Shah here and are waiting for the rest of the replacements to be sanctioned by the GSL, which we should know before the start of the tournament.' Joining the Capitals are Bangladesh legend Shakib Al Hasan and Afghanistan all-rounder Gulbadin Naib. 'Shakib has played around the world and he brings in lots of experience. Gulbadin has been one of our leading players in ILT20 and also brings in a lot of experience. We've got a few new faces as well,' added Raza. 'The teams here are all champions of their respective leagues. It's going to be a hard-fought tournament. It's not a format that you can take a game or two to get up and running. So every game matters.' Dubai Capitals fixtures in GSL July 10: v Central Stags July 11: v Hobart Hurricanes July 13: v Guyana Amazon Warriors July 16: v Rangpur Riders July 19: Final (if they qualify)
Sharjah 24
27-06-2025
- Automotive
- Sharjah 24
Team AD to compete in UIM F2 World Championship in Italy
Representing the team in this round are boat number 1, driven by five-time world champion Rashed Al Qemzi, and boat number 35, piloted by Mansoor Al Mansoori. The team aims to maintain its global dominance after a successful 2024 season that saw Al Qemzi clinch the overall championship title, while Al Mansoori secured third place in the final standings. The 2025 UIM F2 World Championship features a highly competitive calendar with five rounds held under the authority of the Union Internationale Motonautique (UIM). The series kicks off in Italy before moving on to Lithuania, Norway, and Portugal, with the final round scheduled to take place in the UAE later this year. The opening round in Brindisi will see official qualifying sessions for F2 boats held on Saturday, 28th June, with Q1 beginning at 17:00 local time, followed by Q2 at 18:15, and Q3 from 18:30 to 18:50, which will determine the starting grid for the main race. On Sunday, 29th June, the schedule begins with the Repechage Race at 10:00 am, followed by the official Warm-Up session from 11:00 to 12:00. The main event, the F2 Grand Prix of Italy, will commence at 18:30, and the round will conclude with the official prize-giving ceremony at 20:00. Team Abu Dhabi remains a powerhouse in international powerboat racing, having claimed multiple F2 world titles, including last season's crown led by Al Qemzi. As the new season unfolds, the team is determined to defend its title and add another achievement to its illustrious record.
The National
05-06-2025
- Business
- The National
Team Abu Dhabi cap brilliant cricket season with D10 title
Team Abu Dhabi capped a remarkable domestic season by winning the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) D10 competition. Abu Dhabi defeated Sharjah by seven wickets in the final after restricting their opponents to 87-5 in their 10 overs. The capital side chased down the target inside seven overs, with captain Rohan Mustafa top-scoring with 36. Mustafa continued his brilliant form in the tournament which included a record-breaking 13-ball half-century. He was named the player of the final and the tournament. Left-arm spinner Haider Ali had earlier left his mark on the tournament with an astonishing spell of five wickets for no runs in two overs during the semi-final against Fujairah. Team Abu Dhabi's D10 winning line-up featured two graduates of Zayed Cricket Academy, Ethan D'Souza and Vishal Saravanan. Victory capped what is being hailed as the most successful season at the Abu Dhabi Cricket & Sports Hub (ADCSH) and for its renowned Zayed Cricket Academy (ZCA). The 2024/25 campaign saw other major achievements across with Team Abu Dhabi also emerging champions in the ECB D50 tournament and reaching the semi-finals of the ECB D20. Zayed Cricket Academy U19 side were declared champions of the ECB National League while the U16s were runners-up in the National League. 'This D10 title is a huge validation of our model,' said Matt Boucher, CEO of ADCSH. 'These are not just success stories for board meetings and presentations – they are real, on-the-field wins. Team Abu Dhabi's achievements are proof that long-term investment in player development through Zayed Cricket Academy is delivering tangible results. Our coaching staff, especially those working behind the scenes, deserve huge credit for turning potential into podiums. 'Special acknowledgment and our thanks goes to Ruan Bohalmann from Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting & Golf Club, whose exceptional team management skills were instrumental in guiding Team Abu Dhabi through the D10 campaign with focus and unity.' Bohlmann added: 'This season reflects the spirit of sport that we continue to build in Abu Dhabi – grassroots development feeding elite performance. 'The success of Team Abu Dhabi and Zayed Cricket Academy is something the whole emirate can be proud of. As the region cements its status as a sporting powerhouse, this record-setting season confirms that Abu Dhabi is not just hosting top-tier cricket – we are building it, nurturing it, and winning with it. 'This title wasn't won by individuals – it was earned through true teamwork. Every player gave 100 per cent in all departments – batting, bowling, and fielding. It's the collective effort, determination, and commitment of the Team Abu Dhabi squad that made this possible. 'I hope this experience also gave ZCA youngsters Ethan D'Souza and Vishal Saravanan valuable insight into what to expect and what's expected as they progress in their cricketing journeys.' Team Abu Dhabi had earlier celebrated winning the D50 title in April. The Abu Dhabi side defeated Fujairah in the 50-over competition final in Ajman. There, Fujairah were bowled out for 214 before Team Abu Dhabi chasing down the target in 36 overs with five wickets in hand. Captain and UAE cricket veteran Mustafa top-scored for the winners there as well, hitting 45 from just 28 balls. Team Abu Dhabi had also won the D20 title in 2023.
