There was a South African one-two finish at the 700m swimming competition at the Al Gharbia Watersports Festival but the locals did have a third-place finish to cheer.
Jasper Moka and Tom Berort finished first and second respectively in the 25-man event while Mohammed Abdul Rahim al Hosani came third.
"It was a wonderful race," al Hosani said. "Long distance races better demonstrate the athlete's ability."
Speaking about the seventh running of the festival, al Hosani added: "It was a success on all levels, particularly the public presence and good organising aspects.
"Visitors of the region noticed how the traffic on Al Mirfa beaches was high all the time during the festival."
Obaid Khalfan al Mazrouei, the festival manager, said: "We are thrilled with the huge response to this championship. We have been trying to attract the largest number of entries possible from the Western Region.
"As the festival name is Al Gharbia Watersports Festival, we are focusing on increasing the number water sport disciplines in the festival programme year on year."
The winners of the 50m and 150m events received their medals and awards yesterday. Abdullah Mohammed al Hamadi, Khalid Ismael al Hamadi and Hassan Sultan al Hamadi claimed the podium positions in the 50m competition while Mohammed Abdul Rahim al Hosani, Naif Hassan al Razouki and Abdullah Hadi al Hamadi were the first three home in the 150m event.
In the quarter-final matches of the Senior Beach Football Championship Al Asoud team beat Ice Back 3-1, while the Al Gharbia Institute team eliminated Al Gharbi Club, 3-1 on penalties. Armed Forces, last year's runners-up, also prevailed from 12 yards, winning 2-1 over HCT team.
Ali Sarhan, the HCT goalkeeper and man of the match, said: "The tournament was full of rivalry matches and great performance."
Emigration also reached the last four, defeating the Services and Security team 3-1.
This year's festival also saw a debut for rowing while standing, kite surfing and kayaking.
Farage on Muslim Brotherhood
Nigel Farage told Reform's annual conference that the party will proscribe the Muslim Brotherhood if he becomes Prime Minister.
"We will stop dangerous organisations with links to terrorism operating in our country," he said. "Quite why we've been so gutless about this – both Labour and Conservative – I don't know.
“All across the Middle East, countries have banned and proscribed the Muslim Brotherhood as a dangerous organisation. We will do the very same.”
It is 10 years since a ground-breaking report into the Muslim Brotherhood by Sir John Jenkins.
Among the former diplomat's findings was an assessment that “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” has “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
The prime minister at the time, David Cameron, who commissioned the report, said membership or association with the Muslim Brotherhood was a "possible indicator of extremism" but it would not be banned.
Ticket prices
- Golden circle - Dh995
- Floor Standing - Dh495
- Lower Bowl Platinum - Dh95
- Lower Bowl premium - Dh795
- Lower Bowl Plus - Dh695
- Lower Bowl Standard- Dh595
- Upper Bowl Premium - Dh395
- Upper Bowl standard - Dh295
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Champions parade (UAE timings)
7pm Gates open
8pm Deansgate stage showing starts
9pm Parade starts at Manchester Cathedral
9.45pm Parade ends at Peter Street
10pm City players on stage
11pm event ends
Trolls World Tour
Directed by: Walt Dohrn, David Smith
Starring: Anna Kendrick, Justin Timberlake
Rating: 4 stars
Basquiat in Abu Dhabi
One of Basquiat’s paintings, the vibrant Cabra (1981–82), now hangs in Louvre Abu Dhabi temporarily, on loan from the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi.
The latter museum is not open physically, but has assembled a collection and puts together a series of events called Talking Art, such as this discussion, moderated by writer Chaedria LaBouvier.
It's something of a Basquiat season in Abu Dhabi at the moment. Last week, The Radiant Child, a documentary on Basquiat was shown at Manarat Al Saadiyat, and tonight (April 18) the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi is throwing the re-creation of a party tonight, of the legendary Canal Zone party thrown in 1979, which epitomised the collaborative scene of the time. It was at Canal Zone that Basquiat met prominent members of the art world and moved from unknown graffiti artist into someone in the spotlight.
“We’ve invited local resident arists, we’ll have spray cans at the ready,” says curator Maisa Al Qassemi of the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi.
Guggenheim Abu Dhabi's Canal Zone Remix is at Manarat Al Saadiyat, Thursday April 18, from 8pm. Free entry to all. Basquiat's Cabra is on view at Louvre Abu Dhabi until October
Oppenheimer
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