Gov Games returns to Dubai in April next year

Dubai - Federal and state government departments and international participants from major cities will battle it out for the ultimate prize.

The second edition of Gov Games, where government departments navigate obstacle courses for prizes worth Dh1 million, will return to Dubai on April 3-6 next year, it was announced on Wednesday.
Federal and state government departments and international participants from major cities will battle it out for the ultimate prize.
Conceived by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Dubai Executive Council, the expanded Gov Games 2019 is a collaboration between the General Secretariat of the Executive Council Dubai and the Dubai Sports Council.
The competition will once again be held under the theme of 'One Team, One Spirit' to highlight the teamwork needed to achieve excellence in the professional and sporting arenas. The theme also reflects the significant progress made by the Government of Dubai in recent years to encourage citizens and residents to pursue active lifestyles through a series of society-wide programmes, initiatives and incentives.
Competitors at the event will face challenges similar to those featured in the inaugural Gov Games in 2018, while a new set of testing obstacles will require greater harmony and focus from participating teams. Team members will have to work together and demonstrate key characteristics such as strength, stamina, memory, diving and climbing to compete efficiently and effectively.
The first edition of the Gov Games was attended by 154 teams, representing more than 96 international and local government departments from Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah. The gender split saw 90 male teams and 64 women teams.
"The inaugural Gov Games was a tremendous success and served its purpose in testing the mental agility, fitness and teamwork of UAE government employees, and their peers from around the world," said Marwan bin Essa, director of the Gov Games.
"Despite this success and the overwhelmingly positive feedback - which stretched from all over the world - we believe there is ample sco­­pe to increase the Gov Games footprint and the legacy of this Dubai initiative to every corner of the globe."
In line with the Gov Games vision to strengthen the collaborative skills and team spirit of government staff by testing their mental and physical dexterity, Bin Essa added the 2019 edition will again feature separate competitions for all-female and all-male teams, with the ultimate champions from each gender claiming shares of Dh1 million in prize money.
To enhance participating teams' chances of overcoming the obstacles and progressing through the competition, Bin Essa stressed the importance of identifying leaders who are capable of guiding and motivating their teams during the selection process. Selected teams should also include highly-responsible individuals with different levels of ability and who can work in a team.
"During the first edition of the Gov Games, some teams performed exceptionally well and above all expectations, including some of our all-women teams, who performed brilliantly. We expect the female competition to be even more intensely contested in 2019," added Bin Essa.
KT NANO EDIT
Towards a fitter society
The sole aim of initiatives like the Dubai Fitness Challenge and Gov Games is to help us appreciate the importance of sports and physical activity in our lives. We all know it, but stuck in a rut we often pay lip service to healthy living. A sound mind in a sound body should be our motto. Let's get going and contribute in whatever way we can to a fitter and healthier society.
reporters@khaleejtimes.com

• Dubai