(DUBAI, UAE) –  Ryder Cup star Rafa Cabrera Bello took some time out from his busy globe-trotting schedule to put something back into a game that has given him so much when he delighted children at the Sheikh Rashid School for Boys in Dubai with a golf lesson earlier today (Wednesday).

Rafa posing with students from Sheikh Rashid School for Boys

He’s been hitting the heights all season but the 2012 Omega Dubai Desert Classic winner, who hasn’t missed a cut in competitive golf for more than a year, is known as one of the most down to earth and good-natured players on the European Tour and he proved it by passing on some of his knowledge to the eager schoolchildren during some down time in the emirate he calls his ‘second home.’

“Just watching the kids smile really makes my day! I’m very happy to be given the opportunity to be here and watch the kids play the game for the very first time and to see how excited they are and how they interact with their classmates,” said the Spaniard who spent over an hour teaching the enthralled pupils the basics of the game as part of an initiative by the Emirates Golf Federation supported by the European Tour and DP World which will see over 6,000 schoolchildren given ‘introduction to golf’ lessons by the end of the year.

“I think this initiative is a great idea in getting golf into the PE classes. This misconception that golf is for old men and non-athletic people is blown out of the way with an initiative like this. If the schools have the space and capacity to implement this initiative, then I think they should go for it. It will do lots of good for the sport and in this region.”

Rafa Cabrera-Bello with students, Adel Zarouni, Dr Abdulla Al Karam and Khalid Al Shamsi, Nick Tarratt, EGF Coaches and Golf DXB Coaches

Adel Zarouni, Vice Chairman of the Emirates Golf Federation said: “We aim to spread the game of golf into schools in the UAE attracting young boys who in future will hopefully be very good golfers. With kids, you need something to inspire them, something to give them that extra push. Golf is not a big sport within the UAE; it’s mostly played by expats here, so it’s not spread at all in the schools. But this is a way for us to break through and naturally they like Rafa, he’s an inspiration for a lot of people. The most important thing is that it opens up the doors for us to go to these schools because the schools want a serious initiative and you can’t find somebody bigger than a Ryder Cup player. I think Rafa is helping us a lot to get through to the schools and reach the kids.”

Dr Abdulla Al Karam, Director General and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) said: “Having Ryder Cup stars like Rafa here is what we’ve been missing before. The EGF, European Tour and DP World have done great work to involve kids but now we are getting parents engaged and professionals involved. The kids might not know the professional but the parents certainly will.”

Cabrera Bello endeared himself to golf fans around the world with an inspiring Ryder Cup debut at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Minnesota earlier this month, scoring two and a half points from three and forming a devastating partnership alongside fellow countryman Sergio Garcia.

Europe may have lost the biennial contest against the USA for the first time in eight years but Cabrera Bello, who also represented Spain in the Olympic Games this summer, emerged as one of the shining lights of Darren Clarke’s European Team.

Rafa in action

“It was probably the best week in my career! I would trade my two wins on the European Tour for a win in The Ryder Cup,” he said. “The team went to the tournament as friends before but our bond got even stronger after the tournament. We fought as hard as we could and we gave it all for the captain, for the team and for Europe. Obviously we were disappointed that we didn’t win but personally I was pleased with my performance and contribution to the team. As a Ryder Cup rookie I can say that the experience itself is greater than winning or losing.

The schedule of a top level golfer is such a hectic and exhilarating one and the big tournaments are set to continue coming thick and fast for Cabrera Bello over the coming weeks. He’s off to play on the US PGA Tour’s CIMB Classic in Kuala Lumpur next week and then it’s back on to the European Tour for the Final Series of the Race to Dubai – he’s currently in fifth place in the rankings – which culminates in the US$8 million season-ending DP World Tour Championship taking place at Jumeirah Golf Estates from Thursday 17 to Sunday 20 November.

“I’ve got myself into a position this season where if I win one of those events I will be contending for the Race to Dubai title. There are four very big events coming up and I will play in all four of them to give myself the best possible chance.

“I’m really looking forward it and if I could end the season with victory at the DP World Tour Championship it would be like double icing on the cake for me.”

He’s got a career that most people can only dream of but in giving up his time to introduce the game to a new generation in Dubai, Cabrera Bello might just have lit the fuse that will help one of them follow in his footsteps.

Drafted by DPWTC / Edited by EGF

(Riviera Maya, Mexico) – On September 21^st – 24^th, 2016 the United Arab Emirates (UAE) National Golf Team competed in the 30^th World Amateur Team Championship (WATC) – Eisenhower Trophy. The 2016 WATC – Eisenhower Trophy took place in Riviera Maya, Mexico at the Mayakoba El Camaleon Golf Club and Iberostar Playa Paraiso Golf Club.

UAE National Golf Team (Left to Right) – Saif Thabet, Rashid Hamood, and Ahmed Skaik

The WATC is the most prestigious Amateur Golf Championship in the world. The format of the WATC is as follows – Each team has two or three players play four rounds, of 18 holes, of stroke play. In each round, the total of two lowest scores from each team creates the team score for that round. The four-day (72-hole) total is the team’s score for the championship.

With over 70 teams represented, this was one of the largest fields in the WATC – Eisenhower Trophy’s history. Representing the UAE National Golf Team was Ahmed Skaik, Rashid Hamood, and Saif Thabet. The UAE National Golf Team finished in 65^th Place.

Playing in his first WATC – Eisenhower Trophy and leading the UAE National Golf Team was Saif Thabet. Thabet shot rounds of 86-78-80-78 for a championship total of 322, 36-over-par. Thabet placed tied for 174^h in the Individual Category.

Ahmed Skaik

Finishing two stokes behind Thabet was UAE youngster Ahmad Skaik. After a good start shooting a 78 on the Mayakoba El Camaleon Golf Course, Skaik’s last three rounds were 82-81-83 for a total of 324, 38-over-par. Skaik finished tied for 182^nd in the Individual Category.

Rashid Hamood, the Assistant Golf Experience Manager at the Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club, had a hard time finding consistency all championship with rounds of 80-89-81-88 for a total of 338, 52-over-par. Rashid finished in 195^th in the Individual Category.

The UAE National Golf Team will be looking to build on these results in the near future. With a number of regional championships and the UAE golf season around the corner the National Teams are expected to play a lot of completive golf.

Winning the 2016 WATC – Eisenhower Trophy was Australia. Australia had a very impressive championship finishing 19 strokes better than the Second Place team. This was Australia’s 4^th time winning the WATC – Eisenhower Trophy finishing 38-under-par. Australia also had the 1^st and 2^nd Place winners in the individual category with scores of 17-under-par and 15-under-par for the four rounds. England placed second and Austria and Ireland finished tied for Third Place.

UAE National Golf Team Coach, Greg Holmes had this to say after the event. “Every year the standard and competition level of golf at this event continues to get better. The more our players play and experience golf like this, the more the players can see how much work is needed to reach the top of their game”.

The UAE Team was also accompanied by, Khalid Mubarak Al Shamsi, Emirates Golf Federation Secretary General, and UAE National Team Manager. “The WATC – Eisenhower Trophy is always an honor to compete in. The UAE National Teams will now focus on upcoming regional events in the GGC Golf Championships and Arab Golf Championships”, said Khalid Mubarak Al Shamsi.

The UAE National Senior Golf Team will be back in action on November 7^th – 13^th, 2016 the Arab Golf Championship in Oman. Before this event, the Nationals Ladies, 18 & Under, and 15 & Under Golf Teams will be in action on October 17^th – 22^nd, 2016 in Egypt.

To see the full results from the 2016 World Amateur Team Championship (WATC) – Eisenhower Trophy please visit the International Golf Federation website at www.igfgolf.org

(Dubai, UAE) – Global port operator DP World has again signaled its commitment to growing the game of golf at a grassroots level in the UAE region by supporting a groundbreaking initiative being led by the Emirates Golf Federation, which will introduce the sport to over 3,000 Arabic schoolchildren over the next three months.

School children at the Al Mizhar American Academy after their first golf lesson.

The title sponsors of the European Tour’s season-ending DP World Tour Championship, Dubai taking place at the stunning Jumeirah Golf Estates for the eighth time from Thursday 17 to Sunday 20 November, strive to not only host one of the world’s most prestigious professional global golf events, but to support initiatives which align with their goal of bringing more Arab juniors into the sport.

The programme, which is also being supported by the European Tour and DP World Tour Championship Host Venue Jumeirah Golf Estates, will see specialist coaches from Golf DXB host ‘introduction to golf’ sessions for over 3,000 students at UAE National Schools including American Academy Al Mizar, School of Research Science, Al Itihad Al Mamzar, Sheikh Rashid School For Boys, Al Itihad Jumeirah and Al Khaleej School.

Around 180 students will also visit Jumeirah Golf Estates for the star-studded DP World Tour Championship in November where they will be given a tour of the world-class facilities before seeing the top 60 players on the European Tour Race to Dubai rankings competing in the tournament.

As a follow-up from the introductory sessions, commencing in January 2017 at least 50 schoolchildren will embark upon a four-week coaching programme to develop their skills and nurture their love of the game at facilities including the renowned European Tour Performance Institute at Jumeirah Golf Estates, home of the UAE National Golf Team, where European Tour Race to Dubai Top 10 players such as Henrik Stenson, Rafa Cabrera Bello and Justin Rose have trained.

The initiative will feed into the Emirates Golf Federation’s National Junior Development Program, which aims to produce new talented golfers who can one day go on to represent the UAE at a senior level and perhaps even join the professional ranks with a view to competing on the European Tour.

Nick Tarratt, Abdulaziz Bukhatir, Presenter Dubai Sports TV, Dr. Abdulla Al Karam, and Adel Zarouni

Adel Zarouni, Vice Chairman of the Emirates Golf Federation believes the programme will be vital in unearthing new golfing talent among the local population, saying: “This programme, created by the Emirates Golf Federation, aims to develop the growth of aspiring youngsters and create more awareness about the sport. The initiative is funded by DP World and supported by the European Tour and Jumeirah Golf Estates and we’re very grateful for their backing. It’s all about attracting children to golf and spreading the sport across the schools in the region.”

“The plan is to have more youngsters playing golf, especially Emirati girls as we have a shortage of female Emirati golfers. I believe that this initiative will help us find the hidden talents and also improve the sport in the country.”

Dr. Abdulla Al Karam, Director General and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Knowledge and Human Development Authority said: “Children are happy when they have new experiences that enrich their lives. Golf is a great sport for having fun, and teaches important life qualities such as respect for others, focus and problem-solving. We’re happy to work together with the Emirates Golf Federation, DP World and the European Tour to bring the joys of golf to a new generation of UAE nationals.”

 Abdulaziz Bukhatir, Executive Director, Jumeirah Golf Estates said: “As home to the UAE golf team and the destination of choice for many players from around the world, Jumeirah Golf Estates is fully committed to extending our passion for golf to amateur and professional golfers alike. We are proud to be a part of this major grassroots initiative that will place golf front of mind among a new generation of young sporting stars.”

Nick Tarratt, Director European Tour – Dubai added: “This region has become synonymous with golf – frequently hosting the European Tour’s finest players, on the best courses and offering some of the best facilities in the world. The next step to produce a home-grown UAE player who can compete on the European Tour and this fantastic Arabic Schools Initiative will lay the foundations to do just that.

“Supporting grassroots golf initiatives is central to DP World’s involvement in the sport and something they care very passionately about.

“We look forward to welcoming the schoolchildren to the tournament in November and to seeing the next generation of golfers emerge in the UAE.”

(Taoyuan City, Taiwan) – On August 23 – 25, 2016 four United Arab Emirates (UAE) National Junior golfers will compete in the 2016 Asian Pacific Golf Confederation (APGC) Junior Championship at Sunrise Golf & Country Club in Taiwan. Two girls and two boys will compete in a 72-hole mixed gender team competition. Representing the UAE will be Reema Al Heloo and Tara Al Marzooqi for the girls, and Mohammed Al Hajeri and Mohammed Saeed Abdulla for the boys.

Pictured from right to left: Tara Al Marzooqi, Mohammed Saeed Abdulla, Mohammed Al Hajeri, and Reema Al Heloo.

Over 3-days (72-holes), teams will be made up of one male and one female player from each country. Teams will be grouped with a different country each day except the seeded draw for round 3. The team competition will be all stroke play as the First Round will be four-balls, the Second round in foursomes, and the Third Round will be individual gross score.

Coming off a team gold medal at the GCC Ladies Golf Championship in Bahrain, Reema and Tara will be looking to have a strong appearance in Taiwan. Reema also won the gold medal in the individual category in Bahrain.

For the boys, Mohammed Saeed Abdulla has participated in three international events, the Arab Golf Championship in Egypt, the GCC Golf Championship in Oman, and the GCC Golf Championship in Kuwait. A product of the National Junior Development Program (NJDP) the Emirates Golf Federation (EGF) is expecting this event to add more experience to Mohammed’s golf resume. Mohammed Al Hajeri has been a rising star for UAE golf. Starting over two years ago, Al Hajeri has seen improvements in all aspects of his game and will be looking to compete with the top players at the championship.

Traveling with the juniors will be Khalid Mubarak Al Shamsi, EGF Secretary General & UAE National Team Manager and Greg Holmes, UAE National Team Head Coach.

“The girls had a strong 2015 – 2016 season and this will be a good test for them leading into the 2016 – 2017 season that starts in October. These juniors just completed a two-week summer camp in Germany in preparation for this championship and the upcoming season. The EGF has invested a lot of time into junior golf and our NJDP, by having four players competing in this event is a good example of that,” said Khalid Mubarak Al Shamsi.

Follow the EGF on social media and on the EGF website to updates and results from the event.