Dubai: The President of Tennis Emirates has hoped the presence of the Davis Cup trophy in the country will help kick-start a love for the sport at the grassroots level.
Shaikh Hasher Al Maktoum, President, Tennis Emirates (TE) unveiled the iconic piece of silverware at the Dubai Mall and then went on to call on the youth of the UAE to take up various sports to bring glory to the country.
The Davis Cup trophy — the oldest men’s teams tennis competition trophy — went on display on Monday in preparation for the three-day Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the International Tennis Federation (ITF) scheduled from September 16 to 18.
The annual meeting of tennis that is being held under the patronage of Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman, Dubai Sports Council (DSC), will see nearly 200 delegates from all member nations participating in their annual deliberations.
Joining Shaikh Hasher at the unveiling of the trophy was Abdul Rahman Falaknaz, Vice President, TE; Salah Tahlak, Chairman, Organising Committee and Tournament Director, Dubai Tennis Championships and Ebrahim Abdul Malek, General Secretary, General Authority of Youth and Sports Welfare, among others.
“There is a new sporting focus in the UAE now. It is not all about football, but we want our youth to take up varied sports so that we reach the international summit in a few years time,” Shaikh Hasher told media.
“This is the first time that West Asia is hosting such an important meeting of the ITF and this just shows the confidence the international sporting bodies have in the UAE. Having this historic trophy here will definitely inspire some of our youngsters to take up to tennis and bring glory to the country,” he added.
The Davis Cup by BNP Paribas began in 1900 as a competition between the USA and Great Britain. It was designed and conceptualised by Harvard University student Dwight F. Davis, after whom the Cup came to be named following his death in 1945.
The draw for the 2015 Davis Cup by BNP Paribas will be held during the course of this year’s AGM following the conclusion of all Davis Cup Playoff ties of the 2014 edition on Sunday.
The UAE is also attempting to set a first-time Guinness World Record by creating a mosaic using tennis balls to depict the three-finger victory sign of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. The Guinness World Record attempt will be held at the events arena of Jumeirah Beach Hotel at 5.30pm on September 17.
The AGM is backed by Tennis Emirates, Ministry of Interior, Dubai Sports Council (DSC), General Authority of Youth and Sports Welfare (GAYSW), Road and Transport Authority (RTA), Dubai Convention Bureau and Jumeirah Beach Hotel, among others.
