Abu Dhabi Grand Kingfish Championship kicks off tomorrow

Under the generous patronage of His Highness Sheikh Nahyan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Sports Council, the Abu Dhabi Grand Kingfish Championship 2024 begins tomorrow, Friday, 19 April, and will run until the 21st. The tournament is organised by the Abu Dhabi Sports Council and the Abu Dhabi Marine Sports Club, as part of their shared objective to promote the preservation of competitions that showcase the UAE’s maritime heritage.

More than 1,500 fishermen on more than 360 fishing boats are set to participate in the largest event in the region, with a total prize pool of AED 1,000,000, The first winner with the heaviest kingfish receives AED 200,000, while second place receives AED 150,000, third place AED 100,000, fourth place AED 50,000, fifth place AED 40,000, sixth place AED 30,000, seventh place AED 25,000, eighth place AED 20,000, ninth place AED 19,000, and tenth place AED 18,000. Further cash prizes will be awarded until sixtieth place.

The organising committee also announced a new package of additional financial prizes comprised of a daily prize worth AED 10,000 for the heaviest fish, with first place receiving AED 5,000, second place AED 3,000, and third AED 2,000 dirhams, throughout the tournament’s three days.

As part of the activities accompanying the tournament, the “Answer and Win” competition launched on Instagram. Consisting of 4 questions on the UAE’s rich maritime heritage posed to the public, winners will be randomly drawn on 25 April, with 3 winners for each question and one winner receiving a cash prize of AED 500.

The organising committee confirmed that participating boats will launch from three locations: the first in front of the Abu Dhabi Marine Sports Club in Abu Dhabi, the second in front of the club branch in Al Mirfa City, and the third from the shore of Dalma Island, in order to facilitate anglers at the location closest to them.

The tournament briefing for the participants was held on 17 April at the Mohammed Khalaf Majlis in the Al Karama area in Abu Dhabi, in which some of the instructions and conditions that must be followed were explained, including the filming mechanism. Inquiries from the participants present at the meeting were also answered, as well as from those following the live broadcast on the tournament’s Instagram channel.

The Abu Dhabi Grand Kingfish Championship is one of the most important marine sporting events that preserves the popular heritage of kingfishing among the Emirati people and encourages the community to practice the sport of fishing, in addition to promoting the concept of reviving the local marine heritage, providing opportunities for amateurs to practice fishing, and revitalizing the spirit of competition among all marine fishing enthusiasts.

The organising committee closed registration for the tournament at the end of 15 April, having drawn participants from inside and outside the country through the Abu Dhabi Sports Council’s official website.

The gathering of boats at the three starting points is scheduled to begin on the morning of Friday, 19 April. The preparation boat will raise the white flag to hand over the championship flag and wait until the yellow flag is raised, before the green flag at 11:00 AM marks the start of the Abu Dhabi Grand Kingfish Championship.

Participants will be provided with the password for the first day, Friday, at 11:00 AM, for the second day, Saturday, at 21:00 PM, and for the third and final day, Sunday at 21:00 PM.

The tournament bag deliveries began on the morning of 16 April. Each bag contained tournament shirts and the number of the participating fishing boat, in addition to tournament hats, traditional shirts (Mqassar), and the “explanatory tag” to be placed on the fish after it is caught.

Talal Al Hashemi, Executive Director of the Events Sector at the Abu Dhabi Sports Council, expressed appreciation for the generous patronage of His Highness Sheikh Nahyan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Sports Council, for the event, praising His Highness’s support and continuous directives to develop heritage sports that enhance the Emirati identity amongst the younger generations.

Al Hashemi said: “We are pleased with the large turnout to participate in the Abu Dhabi Grand Kingfish Championship, which reflects the interest of the Abu Dhabi Sports Council in developing traditional sports, and its endeavor to provide an ideal platform for practicing traditional marine fishing, which expresses the ancient heritage of the UAE.

“Our best wishes to everyone for safety, and our thanks go to the organising committee of the largest event of its kind in the region, as well as the tournament sponsors and all strategic partners, for ensuring the event runs smoothly.”

In turn, Majid Ateeq Al Muhairi, Chairman of the Championship Organising Committee, praised the support of the Abu Dhabi Sports Council, headed by His Highness Sheikh Nahyan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, which contributed to achieving important gains for marine and heritage sports, expressing his happiness with the large number of participants who will be present to compete in the Abu Dhabi Grand Kingfish Championship.

Al Muhairi noted: “Things went well since the announcement of the largest event in the region, through the registration process, receiving the bags, the tournament briefing and coordination with all relevant parties. We are now impatiently awaiting the start of the competitions that will be held over three days, to find out the overall winners of AED 1,000,000 in financial prizes. We wish success to all participants.”