DUBAI // In Dubai, the rise of the sporting academy began four years ago with the launch of Manchester United Soccer Schools.
Since then the national demand for sporting excellence has spawned Dubai Sports City, which is near completion and will boast eight specialist academies, including football, hockey and swimming.
DSC and other independent academies in the emirate have attracted an array of professional athletes keen to help a generation of children develop their potential.
The Elite Sporting Academy was opened in March at Repton School in Nad Al Sheba under the helm of Tim Cahill, the Everton and Australia international footballer, and his cousin, John Mamea-Wilson, a former rugby professional.
The former England footballers Trevor Sinclair and Carlton Palmer and the Samoan dual-code rugby international Apollo Perelini are among the permanent coaching line-up.
ESA's aim is to provide promising young rugby and football players with a platform to a sporting career without having to leave the UAE. The academy offers scholarships funded by international football and rugby stars to pupils who show talent but do not have the finances to pursue their dream.
"I am passionate about kids and sport and putting something back in," Cahill said. "My parents got a loan for £3,000 for me to come to England and it was very difficult, especially with brothers and sisters. Not every parent can put their kids through schooling.
"There are talented kids out there but they miss the opportunity we are trying to give them."
Whether or not they became successful players, he said, each child would have a life-changing experience and an education. "We want to find the first kid from Dubai to play in the Premier League or the first or second division, or the next rugby [league] player to play for St Helens."
From next season, Manchester United Soccer Schools (MUSS) will be based at DSC, as will Socatots, the International Cricket Council's Global Cricket Academy, the World Hockey Academy, the David Lloyd Tennis Academy and the Butch Harmon School of Golf.
Ekta Hutton, assistant academies manager at DSC, is hopeful the site will allow MUSS to develop links with school sports departments and a local league.
Such academies, she said, had an obligation to the community to fill the gap that had prevented young sporting talent developing.
loatway@thenational.ae
Sun jukebox
Rufus Thomas, Bear Cat (The Answer to Hound Dog) (1953)
This rip-off of Leiber/Stoller’s early rock stomper brought a lawsuit against Phillips and necessitated Presley’s premature sale to RCA.
Elvis Presley, Mystery Train (1955)
The B-side of Presley’s final single for Sun bops with a drummer-less groove.
Johnny Cash and the Tennessee Two, Folsom Prison Blues (1955)
Originally recorded for Sun, Cash’s signature tune was performed for inmates of the titular prison 13 years later.
Carl Perkins, Blue Suede Shoes (1956)
Within a month of Sun’s February release Elvis had his version out on RCA.
Roy Orbison, Ooby Dooby (1956)
An essential piece of irreverent juvenilia from Orbison.
Jerry Lee Lewis, Great Balls of Fire (1957)
Lee’s trademark anthem is one of the era’s best-remembered – and best-selling – songs.
If you go
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Seattle from Dh5,555 return, including taxes. Portland is a 260 km drive from Seattle and Emirates offers codeshare flights to Portland with its partner Alaska Airlines.
The car
Hertz (www.hertz.ae) offers compact car rental from about $300 per week, including taxes. Emirates Skywards members can earn points on their car hire through Hertz.
Parks and accommodation
For information on Crater Lake National Park, visit www.nps.gov/crla/index.htm . Because of the altitude, large parts of the park are closed in winter due to snow. While the park’s summer season is May 22-October 31, typically, the full loop of the Rim Drive is only possible from late July until the end of October. Entry costs $25 per car for a day. For accommodation, see www.travelcraterlake.com. For information on Umpqua Hot Springs, see www.fs.usda.gov and https://soakoregon.com/umpqua-hot-springs/. For Bend, see https://www.visitbend.com/.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Details
Through Her Lens: The stories behind the photography of Eva Sereny
Forewords by Jacqueline Bisset and Charlotte Rampling, ACC Art Books
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
If you go
Flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh with a stop in Yangon from Dh3,075, and Etihad flies from Abu Dhabi to Phnom Penh with its partner Bangkok Airlines from Dh2,763. These trips take about nine hours each and both include taxes. From there, a road transfer takes at least four hours; airlines including KC Airlines (www.kcairlines.com) offer quick connecting flights from Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville from about $100 (Dh367) return including taxes. Air Asia, Malindo Air and Malaysian Airlines fly direct from Kuala Lumpur to Sihanoukville from $54 each way. Next year, direct flights are due to launch between Bangkok and Sihanoukville, which will cut the journey time by a third.
The stay
Rooms at Alila Villas Koh Russey (www.alilahotels.com/ kohrussey) cost from $385 per night including taxes.
