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ABU DHABI: The Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club has been accredited as the world’s first hybrid showjumping arena by the International Equestrian Federation, allowing it to host indoor and outdoor events.

Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, vice president of the UAE, deputy prime minister, minister of the presidential court, and chairman of the ADEC has been instrumental in the advancement of equestrian sport, the organization said in a statement recently.

In addition, the UAE Equestrian and Racing Federation has played a key role by organizing and promoting international championships.

Ali Al-Shaiba, director-general of the ADEC, said: “This is a proud moment; this recognition marks a historic milestone for equestrian sport in the UAE.

“It is a reflection of our leadership’s vision and a testament to the nation’s commitment to excellence across all disciplines.

“The new hybrid arena at ADEC is not only the first of its kind globally — it also sets a new benchmark offering a unique venue designed to meet the needs of both riders and horses year-round.”

The arena is a modern equestrian facility inspired by the traditions of Arab architecture and debuted with a series of events during the 2024–25 season.

This includes two major International Equestrian Federation-sanctioned tournaments held in partnership with the UAE Equestrian and Racing Federation: the Abu Dhabi International Show Jumping Event CSI4-W and the UAE President’s Cup Show Jumping CSI5 (2025 Edition).

In addition, the ADEC hosted three international competitions in January 2025, all in the new hybrid arena: the 12th FBMA International Show Jumping Cup CSI2; Al-Shira’aa International Horse Show CSI3; and Al-Shira’aa International Horse Show CSI4-W.

JEDDAH: Defending titleholder Fedor Gorst won his first game on the opening day of the World Pool Championship here by defeating American Sam Henderson 9-3.

The championship opened with a vibrant and colorful ceremony on Monday night.

Nayef Aljawini, president of the ������Ƶn Billiard & Snooker Federation, delivered a speech at the event. Deputy Minister of Sports Khalid Al-Muawad, and Emily Frazer, CEO of Matchroom, were also present.

In other matches, Jayson Shaw from Scotland barely broke a sweat against his ������Ƶ opponent Khalid Al-Otaibi.

In a major shock, Vietnam’s Luong Duc Thien defeated one of the world’s best, America’s Shane van Boening, 9-8 after a long and thrilling match.

Meanwhile, two-time junior European Pool Championship winner Wojciech Szewczyk from Poland began his tournament with a 9-7 win over Taipei’s Fu Che Wei.

The competition has a double elimination format, where players must win two matches in race-to-nine racks to progress. From there, the final 64 enter a single elimination phase of race-to-11 racks, culminating in Saturday’s final, a race-to-15 showdown.

In addition, the Saudi Junior Championship begins on Tuesday with 16 players, including eight representing the Kingdom.

The ������Ƶ players are Abdulaziz Al-Aswad, Ibrahim Al-Aswad, Ibrahim Khazindar, Youssef Bukhari, Abdullah Al-Qabbani, Ziad Al-Qabbani, Hassan Al-Saleh, and Basil Hamida.

Running until July 26 at the Green Hall venue, the tournament features a record-breaking $1 million prize pool.

The contestants include 128 elite players from more than 40 countries, including powerhouses from the US, Taiwan, Germany, Philippines, UK, and host nation ������Ƶ.