https://www.dropbox.com/s/7hm9ueetecf6fjb/1.mp3?dl=0
Introduction
I will prepare and make an interview about changes
in sports and leisure in the UAE. The report will show how the sports activity
has changed and develop in the country over past years.
Research
Interview
For my assignment I interviewed Mr. Chris, who is a
well-travelled and experienced English teacher, in order to discuss the change
and continuity in sports in the UAE. His teaching in the Middle East started in
Bahrain in 2002. In 2005 he left for Muscat, Oman where he worked for another
three years. He started in Fujairah in 2008 and since 2011 he has been teaching
in Abu Dhabi. I have recorded some of the ideas he shared with me.
Let’s start with football, the most important and
the most popular sport, which everyone loves to play. In the past the people
were playing football in the sand or in the street, but now there are many
international stadiums and academies which young players can join to develop
their skills. We think of the international teams of the UAE like Al-Ahli and
Al Jazeera.
If we just for a moment think of all the finance and
effort the leaders of this country put in to boost and develop sport in the
UAE, it is astounding. Look at the Yas Marina Circuit, which became a famous
place for featuring international sports activities such as the very recent
Formula One race. Just a few years ago Yas Island was just a sand bar. Then
there is the Sheikh Zayed Sports Stadium, which is considered the main stadium
where the first team players play international matches. There is also
development in tennis where the country is hosting World Championship matches
and international stars such as Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer come to play.
This is amazing and all interested locals as well as expats benefit from this
experience. We also look at the Meydan Horse Racing Circuit in Dubai, which
hosts some of the world’s richest races under the supervision and patronage of
the Sheikhs.
When I arrived in the Middle East a little golf was
played on sandy courses. Today the DP World Tour Championship is a world-class
sporting and social event and the final tournament of the European Tour’s Race
to Dubai. Now in its seventh year, the championship hosts the top 60 golfers on
the European Tour. Last year's winner Henrik Stenson won the $8 million prize
fund plus a $5 million bonus pool for the 'Race to Dubai'.
Then I asked the teacher about more specific change
and continuity that he found in the United Arab Emirates and he pointed out
that a significant change occurred in camel racing. Traditionally live jockeys
raced the camels. Nowadays remote controlled electronic ‘jockeys’ control the
racing camels. That alone represents a major change in the continuity of a
traditional sport.
Conclusion
I think that the UAE has changed dramatically over
the past few years and has become home to many of the world’s sporting
championships, which in turn led to an increase in tourism. As long as there is
interest in sport and the financial support from the leaders of this country,
sport will keep evolving and everyone will benefit.
Recourses
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Ghazal,
R. (2013, June 6). 72-year-old Emirati tries to keep the games of yore alive.
Retrieved December 15, 2015, from http://www.thenational.ae/news/uae-news/72-year-old-emirati-tries-to-keep-the-games-of-yore-alive.
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Sports
in the United Arab Emirates [UAE]. (n.d.). Retrieved December 15, 2015, from http://guide.theemiratesnetwork.com/living/sports.php
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