Home Away Sports Festival brings joy and community to Dubai’s blue-collar workers

The inaugural Home Away Sports Festival, held at InSportz Dubai, was a resounding success, bringing together 154 blue-collar workers for a day of sports, camaraderie, and celebration. Organised by the Home Away Initiative in collaboration with SmartLife Foundation, the festival featured men's cricket and ladies' badminton tournaments, along with carnival-style games, creating an atmosphere of joy and unity.

The festival was conceptualised  by Home Away’s 16-year-old founder, Sahej Kandhari, who is currently in Year 12 at Sevenoaks School. Though Kandhari has lived in Dubai his whole life, Home Away’s mission comes from a personal place: his own struggle and adjustment to boarding in the UK, and connection to his new community through sports. Understanding the challenges of loneliness and displacement, he was inspired to create a space where migrant workers-who leave their families for work-could come together, connect and feel a sense of belonging through sports.

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The event not only provided exciting competition for trophies, medals and cash prizes but also ensured that every participant felt valued. All participants received free sports jerseys, a water bottle, breakfast, lunch, and an electric kettle, made possible through generous contributions from individual and corporate sponsors.

“Sports have the power to build bridges and make connections, to provide a sense of community,” Kandhari said in his speech at the event. He later emphasised that many of these workers send a majority of their income home to support families, prioritising their relatives’ quality of life over their own. This event was created to make them feel valued for the sacrifices they make and their contribution to Dubai's growth.

 The event was not just about sports; it was also about giving back. After covering event costs, Dh9,000  was donated to SmartLife’s programme to educate the children of blue-collar workers.

“SmartLife aims to bridge the gap between the workforce in UAE,” commented Arun Kumar Krishnan, the president of SmartLife, who attended the event. “It’s a joy to see the next generation take up service and propel this work forward.”

Participants expressed deep appreciation for the event. Adil from the Enoc team, said: “ I have immensely enjoyed today's event and the organisers have done a spectacular job for us."

Zaheer from Desert Group added: “This event gave us peace and an opportunity to have a change of scene, mindset and enjoy the day."

The overwhelming success of the Home Away Sports Festival has set the stage for future initiatives that bring joy, support, and belonging to migrant workers. As the event concluded, the message was clear — when a community comes together, they can create a sense of belonging and home.