The Mubadala World Tennis Championship is offering hundreds of school children across the UAE the chance to take the first steps on what could be their journey to tennis stardom in the 2nd year of the Mubadala Tennis in Schools program.

Targeting children from the ages of seven to eleven, who may have never picked up a tennis racket, this grassroots initiative is an instrumental part of the Mubadala World Tennis Championship’s commitment to encourage children to get more involved in tennis and to promote a healthier lifestyle for future generations. As part of the program, participating schools will receive free Wilson mini-tennis equipment, bringing tennis to many children who would not otherwise have the chance to play.

Building on last year’s success, the Mubadala Tennis in Schools 2011 program has once again been received with great excitement, with the number of schools signed up to take part almost doubling, reflecting the community’s appetite for the sport. A total of forty schools from Abu Dhabi and Dubai will compete, twenty of which are National schools. All participating schools will receive visits from leading tennis coaches who spend time teaching and coaching the children on basic techniques, and more importantly, highlighting the importance of regular exercise and fitness.

Managed by IMG and presented by FLASH Entertainment and Mubadala, the program will offer eight children the once in a lifetime opportunity to shine at the opening day of the Mubadala World Tennis Championship (29th December 2011) in front of a sell-out centre court crowd and six of the world’s greatest tennis champions.
Shaitha Al Romaithi, commented:

“The championship was first established with one priority in mind, the development of tennis at a grassroots level, actively placing the youth of the UAE at the heart of a world-class tournament. With each passing year, hundreds more children across the UAE are getting the chance to truly benefit from the community initiatives thanks to the Mubadala World Tennis Championships, with this year’s Mubadala Tennis in Schools program is offering even more children an incredible opportunity to shine.”

Amina Taher, Mubadala Group Communications, Manager, added:
“Mubadala is committed to finding ways for young people in Abu Dhabi’s community to get active and keep fit, so we’re delighted to support the Tennis in Schools program which is directly targeted at enabling school children to get involved and try out the sport . This year we’ve also developed student guides as an additional resource for the scheme. These include information on how to get started with tennis, healthy eating tips and fitness advice designed to aid instructors but also help students learn faster.”

The Mubadala Tennis in Schools program was recently launched with a Schools Briefing Session for Physical Education Teachers from twenty International and twenty National Arabic participating schools. A special emphasis was taken this year on securing local government schools in order to nurture our national talent. The Briefing Session involved an introduction to the basics of tennis with professional coaches demonstrating the mini-tennis drills to be used in schools.

Following the briefing session for Physical Education, Sameah Hassan, a PE teacher from Ibin Sin School said: “The Mubadala Tennis in Schools program is excellent as it helps children experience something new and healthy, and I actually have seen it develop my students’ skills. I think this initiative is really important as it helps improve our department and ensures that we are offering students a variety of physical education.”

The two children who have demonstrated the most progress, enthusiasm and skill for the sport will be selected to take part in the skills competition final, on December 10th at the International Tennis Complex at Zayed Sports City. From the eighty children involved in the skills competition, eight will be chosen to battle it out on center court on the first day of the Mubadala World Tennis Championship, allowing them to experience their first ever international sporting competition.

The Mubadala World Tennis Championship is a three-day tournament featuring six of the world’s best male tennis players. The tournament will be held from 29 December 2011- 31 December 2011 at Abu Dhabi International Tennis Complex at Zayed Sports City. Running for its fourth year, the tournament aims to raise awareness for tennis and its health benefits into the community.

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