Today's Edition
KUUMAR SHYAM (ABU DHABI)
Abu Dhabi will host a historic leg of the ISU Junior Grand Prix Figure Skating Championship this week, marking the first time the prestigious series is being staged in the Middle East and Africa.
The UAE capital will welcome 90 junior skaters from 35 countries for the event, which runs from Thursday to Saturday (October 9–11) at the Abu Dhabi Ice Rink. Organised under the authority of the International Skating Union (ISU) and supported by the Abu Dhabi Sports Council, the championship will feature men’s and women’s singles and a dance competition in beautiful dress costumes.
Hamel Ahmed Al Qubaisi, Vice President of the UAE Winter Sports Federation, said the event reflects the ISU’s confidence in the UAE’s growing stature on the global sports stage.
“Hosting the championship reflects the International Skating Union’s confidence in the UAE’s distinguished position on the international sports scene,” Al Qubaisi said. “It represents an important opportunity to develop Emirati talent and enhance their skills through exposure to the world’s best junior athletes.”
He added that the event aligns with the UAE’s broader strategy to promote sports diversity. “The event highlights the UAE’s status as a global destination for winter sports and supports non-traditional activities such as figure skating, promoting sports tourism and fostering cultural exchange through sports,” he said.
The Abu Dhabi competition serves as the seventh and final leg of the 2025 ISU Junior Grand Prix series, launched in 1997 as a platform for emerging skaters aged 13 to 19, and up to 21 for male ice dance and pair partners.
Event organiser Alexey Kotlov, from Alpha X Sports Events Marketing, said the tournament has been a long time in the making, their dreams to hold it earlier were put on hold when the COVID-19 pandemic struck.
“This is the first time the ISU has granted the rights to a country in the Middle East to organise an event of this level,” Kotlov said. “It’s the result of years of groundwork – local clubs, national competitions, and international exposure – building up to this moment.”
In the intervening years, woman skater Zahra Lari became the UAE’s first skater to compete internationally, and with a hijab, making the country proud.
Kotlov added that preparations resumed nearly a year ago, after the UAE Winter Sports Federation’s successful bid last September. “We have been organising inter-club and international events since 2019 to ensure readiness for this level of competition,” he said.
With the eyes of the global skating community now turning to Abu Dhabi, the championship has turned the spotlight on the country in the sport.
