Sports | Sunday 22 March, 2015 1:49 am |

Under the patronage of HH Sheikha Al Jalila Bint Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Etisalat Dubai Kids’ Run 2015 was officially inaugurated by an official Greek Olympic Torch today.
Representing the first event of its kind in the UAE, the Etisalat Dubai Kids’ Run supported by BASF and Nestlé was inaugurated today by an official Greek Olympic Torch lighting ceremony in presence of Sergey Bupka, Vice President of the International Athletics Federation, Ghanim Ali Al Marri, Deputy General Manager, Etisalat, Dubai, Ahmad Al Kamali, Council Member, the UAE Athletics Federation, Saeed Awaita, Olympic Champion and Expert at the UAE National Olympic Committee, CPI higher management, VIPs, thousands of parents and their children who participated in the run and the media.
Under the Patronage of HH Sheikha Al Jalila Bint Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Etisalat Dubai Kids’ Run and Fun Fair weekend kick-started this morning with two races for children ranging between the ages of 4 – 12, at the Dubai Media City Amphitheatre.
All children got off to a flying start, with the top five winners in the Boys 4 to 8 years of age 2KM run accompanied by a guardian category being: 1)Jad Hassan 2) Dan Yates 3)Abdulrahman Nabeel Raja 4)Kidus Biya 5)Khalef Nabeel Raja. The top five winners in the Girls 4 to 8 years of age 2 KM run accompanied by a guardian category being: 1) Chloe Fisher 2) Karena Bhatia 3) Sara Boukhzer 4) Ayat Boukhzer 5) Joudi Ayman.
And, top five winners in the Boys 9 to 12years old 2KM Solo category being: 1) Max Powell
2)Raedan Chettiar 3) Waleed Yousef 4) Zacki Youssef 5)Mohamed Bakhait Benmiskeen. And, the top five winner in the Girls 9 to 12 years old 2KM Solo category being: 1) Gwinn Steens 2) Lucy Yalk 3)Napolie Biya 4)Mariam Ahmed 5)Sofija Pavio.
There was a total of 15 Olympic gold medals between people on stage , and in addition to rewarding the winners with lots of valuable fun prizes, the parents of the kids who came 1st in their category, were also awarded medals and a high-tech electronic T-shirt offered by Etisalat as a recognition for their encouragement and efforts.
With child registrations pouring in over the past couple of weeks, more than 2,000 kids’ participated in the race today; with more than 5,000 people at the event between parents and children, a number that is expected to more than triple by the end of tomorrow’s full Fun Fair day.
Coming especially for the Etisalat Dubai Kids’ Run, Mr. Bupka, said “The biggest achievement today is the kids’. I wish to thank their parents who encouraged them to take part in the race and supported them all the way, they are inspirational.”
Mr. Al Marri, said: “Not only have we proudly attracted children from a vast variety of backgrounds and abilities, we have brought in children with special needs to enjoy the community spirit by taking part in the run. We’re delighted to help bring this event to life and reach out to families across the region, creating greater health awareness in children amongst our communities.”
The fun is set to continue tomorrow, as day two of the Fun Fair welcomes families and children of all ages, with free entrance from 10.00am until 6.00pm, into the fully equipped, child-friendly area. The Dubai Media City Amphitheatre will be filled with exciting activities, competitions with prizes, giveaways, thrill rides, educational experiences, tonnes of community spirit, tasty food outlets and more.
Interactive features available will also include penalty shoot-outs, giant twister, circus school, fashion factory, zip lining, a sumo area, bouncy castles, photo–booths, superhero comic camp, bowling, bicycle racing, educational centres, plus much more entertaining surprises.
Children will also experience science in everyday life with Supporting Partners BASF, at a specially designed on-site science lab for exploring, and instilling curiosity.
Dominic De Sousa, Founder, Etisalat Dubai Kids’ Run, Chairman and Owner, CPI Media Group, concluded: “We’re overwhelmed by the number of registrations received and we’re delighted with all the positive feedback. It’s been phenomenal to see the whole community come out to support the children being active and having fun.”
For further information about the Etisalat Dubai Kids’ Run, please visit: www.etisalatkidsrun.com
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