Anticipation Builds As 20,000 Register For Dubai World Championship

Tickets for the inaugural Dubai World Championship has seen interest from all corners of the globe with eager golf fans quickly snapping up more than 20,000 tickets within the first two weeks of becoming available.

Leisurecorp, a division of Nakheel Leisure and partners with The European Tour in creating The Race to Dubai, announced general admittance tickets for one of sport’s most anticipated events would be free earlier this month and has since received thousands of registrations via the tournament’s official website.

Golf legend Greg Norman, the designer of the Earth course at Jumeirah Golf Estates which will host the Dubai World Championship from November 19-22, launched free tickets during a trip to make his finishing touches to the showpiece course which will see the top 60 players in The Race to Dubai competing for golf’s ultimate prize.
Hamza Mustafa, Managing Director of Nakheel Leisure, said:
“We have been absolutely delighted with the initial response to tickets becoming available and in the first few weeks we have seen people register from as far afield as Australia and the United States which is wonderful news for the tournament – and Dubai.

“There has been positive feedback from all corners of the golf world following our decision to offer tickets for free, with tens of thousands of people having already signed up to attend. The Dubai World Championship is going to be one of the leading events on the world’s sports calendar.”

Following the positive early response for tickets, fans are encouraged to register now at www.dubaiworldchampionship.com, the tournament’s official website which is also keeping track of the latest standings in The Race to Dubai, a season-long competition which features 51 golf tournaments in 28 destinations around the world.

The website also includes details and sales information on the two hospitality packages that are available, both of which include first-class facilities overlooking the 18th green, and one offering the unique experience of being among the first to play the Earth course following the Dubai World Championship.

Hamza Mustafa added:
“We have also seen strong interest in corporate hospitality sales and we encourage golf fans and those who want to provide something special for their clients and business partners to purchase now to ensure they experience sporting history right here in Dubai in the finest style.”

For more information on free tickets and hospitality ticket sales please visit www.dubaiworldchampionship.com

UAE Qualifiers Begin For Hyundai World Golf Championship

Juma Al Majid Est. the sole distributor of Hyundai Motors in United Arab Emirates will start The UAE’s qualifying round for the Hyundai World Golf Championship on the 30th of April 2009 at the Jebel Ali Golf & Resort, where 16 players will compete for two places at the Hyundai World Final in Korea next month.The Hyundai World Golf Championship brings players from across the world to compete in one of the largest events of its type, playing for the world title in one of Korea’s top country clubs – the prestigious Haevichi Golf Club on Jeju Island, Korea.This is the first time the event has been held and preparations are underway to continue it on an annual basis, attracting an increasing number of participants each year.“The one day qualifying event is the perfect opportunity for the UAE’s amateur golfers to take part in a unique competition with the prospect of some great rewards,” says Isam Abu Nabah, President of Hyundai -Juma Al Majid Est.“The championship brings together golfing enthusiasts from around the globe to celebrate the prestige of the sport, cultural diversity and dynamism, and even more significantly, to foster an atmosphere of unity and camaraderie,”Countries around the globe are taking part in this competition, were each country will be sending their top qualifiers to compete for the world title.Hyundai’s showpiece for the tournament is the new Genesis Luxury sedan, which will also be available for test drive on the day of the UAE qualifiers.“Until now, Hyundai had been focusing on international football sponsorship as its main sports marketing tool. Now, with our grand entry into the new market sector of luxury automobiles, the Hyundai World Golf Championship is an opportunity to further lift the brand image, by targeting our new luxury brand customers and appealing to their particular tastes and needs.” says Omar Baddar Marketing Manager of Hyundai -Juma Al Majid Est.
 

Fly Emirates Stars Lead Denmark Demolition

The UAE National team, spearheaded by three Fly Emirates players, destroyed Denmark yesterday at the Cricket World Cup qualifying tournament in South Africa.

Amjed Javed, with an amazing innings of 164 from 117 balls - including 17 fours and eight sixes – kept alive the UAE’s dream of reaching the 2011 Asia showpiece by leading them to an emphatic 112-run victory.

The result eased the Emirates Cricket Board into the Super Eights stage alongside Kenya and the Netherlands, with all three teams on six points with one Group B match remaining.

Javed’s man-of-the-match display inspired the UAE to a mammoth total of 379-6 off 50 overs, with skipper Khurram Khan smashing 56 off just 37 balls.

The duo - along with Arshad Ali - who chipped in with a handy 35, including six fours – prepared for the tournament playing for Fly Emirates against a host of top English County sides in the Emirates Airline Pro ARCH Trophy.

Remarkably the trio, who juggle cricket with busy workloads at the Dubai-based airline, were in the Fly Emirates side which inflicted a morale-sapping defeat on the UAE ahead of the trip to South Africa.

However, the players learned from the experience of facing English stars like Michael Vaughan and Matthew Hoggard and shocked tournament favourites, the Netherlands, with a terrific two-wicket win in their second match.

The UAE had it much easier against the Danes, who put in a brave effort to reach 267 all out from 44.4 overs, with Frederik Klokker (77), Michael Pedersen (60) and Carsten Pedersen (58) leading the scoring, while Javed and Khan got in on the act again with a wicket each.

The UAE – who bounced back from a nine-wicket loss to Kenya to add a win over the Dutch to a four-wicket victory over Bermuda - take on Afghanistan on Wednesday in their final group match before the Super Eights gets under way on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Fly Emirates claimed another victory over the UAE at the weekend, beating the under-19 side in Dubai, with Lalith Dhanayake, Saby Fernandes, Nigel Fernandes, Muhammed Iqbal and Yasin Sikander all making valuable contributions.