Dubai, February 07, 2023: This weekend saw Dubai hold the UAE Nationals tournament of the Emirates Post Group UAE Wild Card Championship. Saeed Almarri and Salem Alhouli, and Abdulla Alabdulla and Fares Aljanahi from the men’s teams and Shaikha Aljanahi and Nouf Omar, and Alia Taher and Aisha Alawadhi from the women’s teams will proceed to compete at the championship finals in Abu Dhabi on February 12. 

 

The UAE Wild Card Championship, sponsored by Emirates Post Group, in partnership with the UAE Padel Association and Abu Dhabi Sports Council, witnessed action-packed performances from close to 90 elite Emirati players in the UAE Nationals tournament, which was held exclusively for UAE Nationals from February 3 - 5 at the World Padel Academy in Dubai. 

 

Saeed Almarri and Salem Alhouli dominated the proceedings and booked a spot in the championship finals with a [6-0, 6-3] win over Khalid Alshamsi and Mohammed Aljanahi, who put up a strong challenge. Success followed for Abdulla Alabdulla and Fares Aljanahi, in a thrilling encounter against Emirati duo Abdulla Ahli and Omar Bahrozyan with a final score of [6-4, 6-3]. The young players emerged victorious following a close match with the experienced padel veterans from the UAE National Team. The UAE Nationals men’s tournament also saw Mohammad Ahli and Mohammad Alshamsi; Ali Alarif and Majed Aljanahi; Khaled Belhoul and Eissa Shari; Naser Al Ketbi and Mubarak Al Ketbi compete.

 

Commenting on the win, Fares Aljanahi said: “Abdulla and I entered the court with the belief and intention of winning. We had a great time in the playoffs, and our victory has given us a lot of momentum and confidence as we gear up for the finals in Abu Dhabi.”

 

Alia Taher and Aisha Alawadhi from the women’s team enjoyed an exciting win over Fatma Shadoor and Maryam Shadoor, beating by [6-3,6-0]. Shaikha Aljanahi and Nouf Omar put up an outstanding display before advancing into the next round with a [6-1,6-0] victory over Mariya Binkaram and Najla Alansari. Participating from the women’s team were also Yasmin Alremeithi and Nouf Ali.

 

Celebrating her success, Aisha Alawadhi said: “This has been a game changer for Shaikha and me. This tournament provided newer players the chance to compete against those with more experience. It presents an incredible opportunity to get a better understanding of how to enhance our skills and play under pressure while surrounded by an engaging crowd.”

 

Organised by Global MICE Organisation Limited (GMOL Events) in collaboration with Match Spot, the Emirates Post Group Wild Card Championship features three category tournaments: UAE Residents Open, UAE Nationals tournament, and GCC Residents Open. More than 180 players have registered to date for the six playoff matches.

 

The next meeting of the championship, for GCC residents and nationals, will take place on February 10 - 11 at the Abu Dhabi Padel Hub within Zayed Cricket Stadium. The first three rounds, beginning with 64 teams, are scheduled for Friday, February 10, followed by the quarter-finals and the semis the next day.

  

The finals for each of the six tournaments will be held at the Abu Dhabi Padel Hub on February 12, with each winning team receiving a wild card entry as well as a cash prize of AED 10,000, qualifying them to play against the world’s top-seeded padel players in the qualification round of the World Padel Tour Modon Abu Dhabi Padel Master, occurring from February 18 – 20 at 321 Sports on Hudayriyat Island. This will be followed by the main draw of the World Padel Tour Modon Abu Dhabi Padel Master from February 21 – 26 at Abu Dhabi’s Bab Al Nojoum on Hudayriyat Island. 

 

The Emirates Post Group UAE Wild Card Championship is still open to GCC nationals and residents.