Lisa Campbell, the Ultimate Athletics UAE founder, believes the reopening of sports facilities after the Covid-19 lockdown has provided children of various ages “something to look forward to” this week.
The athletics academy in Dubai opened the doors after Dubai Sports Council issued a list of guidelines for the resumption of sports activities, in line with the regulations issued by the Supreme Committee of Crisis and Disaster Management two days earlier.
Campbell believes athletics as one of the safest sport to return following the global lockdown in all sporting activities.
“We have been under lockdown for nearly three months and naturally we were nervous to return,” she said.
“However, being athletics, I think it is one of the safest sport to resume because we can easily distance the athletes by using alternate lanes on the track.”
Campbell said response for the training session has been overwhelming but numbers had to be restricted to ensure safety measures are followed.
“Even before the announcement was made, we were getting a lot of enquiries from members if they can continue with the athletics training,” she said.
“The re-start was very much welcome and the 12-year-olds and above were really excited to return.
“The majority of them have taken up their places in groups of five and some of them had to be turned away, unfortunately. That just shows how popular the return to the track has been.”
Campbell said the academy has implemented all directives from the Dubai Sports Council.
A list of instructions had to be signed by each parent before the kids were enrolled for training.
It includes temperature checks, sanitising hands before and after sessions, wearing masks, not touching any equipment, and all equipment getting sanitised after every session. “We have taken every precaution that had to be taken and I feel it is really safe,” Campbell said.
A former athlete growing up in London, Campbell founded Ultimate Athletics UAE in 2016.
“When I first got here, I missed the scene of track and field, and I missed the coaching,” the former PE teacher at Gems Wellington International School said.
“I started an after-school programme for athletics and it grew from there, really. I left teaching and decided to give the track and field academy a real chance to grow."
Ultimate Athletics has six full-time coaches and they are based in Dubai Sports City, New York University and Zayed Sports City - both in Abu Dhabi.
“Basically we want to provide opportunities for kids as young as three to get involved in sports,” Campbell said. “We believe this sport is the fundamental of all sports as you run, jump and throw.
“They are generic skills that can benefit and have an effect on all sports that you do in later life, and prevent injuries if you have the correct running techniques.
“To get people involved is the main aspect. However, we do have an elite performance side where we provide strength and conditioning, provide opportunities for competitions locally and abroad to enhance their performances.”
Abdul Jabar Qahraman was meeting supporters in his campaign office in the southern Afghan province of Helmand when a bomb hidden under a sofa exploded on Wednesday.
The blast in the provincial capital Lashkar Gah killed the Afghan election candidate and at least another three people, Interior Minister Wais Ahmad Barmak told reporters. Another three were wounded, while three suspects were detained, he said.
The Taliban – which controls much of Helmand and has vowed to disrupt the October 20 parliamentary elections – claimed responsibility for the attack.
Mr Qahraman was at least the 10th candidate killed so far during the campaign season, and the second from Lashkar Gah this month. Another candidate, Saleh Mohammad Asikzai, was among eight people killed in a suicide attack last week. Most of the slain candidates were murdered in targeted assassinations, including Avtar Singh Khalsa, the first Afghan Sikh to run for the lower house of the parliament.
The same week the Taliban warned candidates to withdraw from the elections. On Wednesday the group issued fresh warnings, calling on educational workers to stop schools from being used as polling centres.
EA Sports FC 26
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3/5
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Match info
Liverpool 3
Hoedt (10' og), Matip (21'), Salah (45 3')
Southampton 0
BRIEF SCORES:
Toss: Nepal, chose to field
UAE 153-6: Shaiman (59), Usman (30); Regmi 2-23
Nepal 132-7: Jora 53 not out; Zahoor 2-17
Result: UAE won by 21 runs
Series: UAE lead 1-0
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
Sarfira
Director: Sudha Kongara Prasad
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Radhika Madan, Paresh Rawal
Rating: 2/5
Can NRIs vote in the election?
Indians residing overseas cannot cast their ballot abroad
Non-resident Indians or NRIs can vote only by going to a polling booth in their home constituency
There are about 3.1 million NRIs living overseas
Indians have urged political parties to extend the right to vote to citizens residing overseas
A committee of the Election Commission of India approved of proxy voting for non-resident Indians
Proxy voting means that a person can authorise someone residing in the same polling booth area to cast a vote on his behalf.
This option is currently available for the armed forces, police and government officials posted outside India
A bill was passed in the lower house of India’s parliament or the Lok Sabha to extend proxy voting to non-resident Indians
However, this did not come before the upper house or Rajya Sabha and has lapsed
The issue of NRI voting draws a huge amount of interest in India and overseas
Over the past few months, Indians have received messages on mobile phones and on social media claiming that NRIs can cast their votes online
The Election Commission of India then clarified that NRIs could not vote online
The Election Commission lodged a complaint with the Delhi Police asking it to clamp down on the people spreading misinformation
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
'The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey'
Rating: 3/5
Directors: Ramin Bahrani, Debbie Allen, Hanelle Culpepper, Guillermo Navarro
Writers: Walter Mosley
Stars: Samuel L Jackson, Dominique Fishback, Walton Goggins
