Padel players from the UAE and GCC rush to compete in the first-ever UAE Wild Card Championship to qualify for The World Padel Tour Abu Dhabi Master
- The Emirates Post Group UAE Wild Card Championship kicks off today, Friday, January 27, taking place across the UAE over three weekends
- Over 190 advanced players from the UAE and wider GCC will compete for one of six Wild Card entries to the qualifications of the Modon Abu Dhabi Padel Master, as well as a cash prize of AED 10,000
- The UAE Wild Card Championship constitutes six padel playoffs, two each in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Sharjah.
Dubai, January 27, 2023: The UAE Wild Card Championship kicks off today with over 190 advanced padel players from the UAE and GCC expected to compete for one of six Wild Card entries to the World Padel Tour. Sponsored by Emirates Post Group in partnership with UAE Padel Association and Abu Dhabi Sports Council, the UAE Wild Card Championship will consist of six tournaments that will take place across the UAE over three weekends in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Sharjah from January 27 to February 12.
Organised by Global MICE Organisation Limited (GMOL Events) in collaboration with Match Spot, the championship will have three category tournaments: UAE Residents Open, UAE Nationals, and GCC Nationals, with each category hosting a male and female tournament. More than 90 teams have registered to date for the six playoff matches, including over 50 men’s teams and 35 women’s teams.
The Emirates Post Group UAE Wild Card Championship will commence with the UAE Residents Open tournament at Padel Arena in Sharjah over the three days, starting today. This weekend’s playoff is for UAE residents and will include a round of 32 on Friday, January 27, a round of 16 and the quarterfinals on Saturday, January 28, and the semi-finals on Sunday, January 29.
The second tournament of the championship, which is organised for UAE nationals, will follow the same knockout format from February 3 – 5 at the World Padel Academy in Dubai. Advanced padel players from other GCC nations will compete in the championship’s third tournament, from February 10 – 11, at the “Abu Dhabi Padel Hub” at the Zayed Cricket Stadium.
The finals for each of the six tournaments will be held on February 12 at the Abu Dhabi Padel Hub, with each winning team receiving a Wild Card, qualifying them to play against the world’s top-seeded padel players in the Qualification round of the Modon Abu Dhabi Padel Master, taking place from February 18 – 20 at 321 Sports on Hudayriyat Island. This will be followed by the Main Draw of the Modon Abu Dhabi Padel Master from February 21 – 26 at Bab Al Nojoum on Hudayriyat Island in Abu Dhabi. Each of the six finalists will also be awarded AED 10,000 in prize money.
Participation in the Emirates Post Group UAE Wild Card Championship is open to UAE and GCC nationals and residents. To participate, players will need to register on the official tournament website www.uaewildcard.com.
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About UAE Padel Association
The origins of Padel in UAE can be traced to the huge amount of support and personal attention given to the sport by His Highness Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of Dubai Sports Council. It was under the directives of Sheikh Hamdan that the sport of Padel really sprouted and started getting recognition from a majority of the tennis fraternity existing in the country.
In June 2019 the UAE Sports Ministry decree officially recognised padel as a sport with full government support. As per the decree, Sheikh Saeed Bin Maktoum Bin Juma Al Maktoum was entrusted with the reins of being the first President of UAE Padel Association with assistance of six members to form the Board of Directors.
About Emirates Post Group
Emirates Post Group Company is a Public Joint Stock Company under Emirates Investment Authority (EIA) operating as a commercial entity across the emirates. It manages and oversees its postal operational division, Emirates Post, the leading postal and express delivery provider in the region, as well as FINTX – its fintech arm, and Electronic Documents Centre – its digital solutions arm. Emirates Post Group’s rich history in the country and the region positively contributes to the UAE’s social and economic development in line with the government’s vision. Specifically, the Group’s portfolio plays an essential role in supporting the nation’s strategy towards leadership in logistics, eCommerce, financial inclusion, and digital integration.
About the Global MICE Organisation Limited (GMOL)
Global MICE Organisation Limited (GMOL) is global event operations and marketing company that organizes and promotes world-class conferences (such as the Global Manufacturing and Industrialisation Summit), exhibitions and sporting events around the world. GMOL is based in the UAE, with its main headquarters located in Masdar City, Abu Dhabi.
In August 2022, GMOL and World Padel Tour signed an exclusive Middle East agreement to bring WPT’s Master tournament to Abu Dhabi, from 21 – 26 February 2023. Abu Dhabi will host the first WPT Master in the MENA Region and the first Master tournament in WPT’s 2023 season.
Contact details:
Maya AlBaradie
Corporate Communications & PR Director
Emirates Post Group Company
Reethu Thachil
Head of PR and Communications
GMOL Events
+971 58 847 6870/ rthachil@gmolevents.com
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