Sheikh Ahmed bin Hamdan Al Nahyan, President of the UAE Sailing and Rowing Federation, and Aref Hamad Al Awani, General Secretary of the Abu Dhabi Sports Council, have crowned the winners of the Abu Dhabi Grand Kingfish Championship 2024, which was held under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Nahyan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Sports Council.

The tournament was organised by Abu Dhabi Sports Council, in cooperation with the Abu Dhabi Marine Sports Club, as part of efforts to preserve traditional competitions that celebrate the UAE’s maritime heritage.

The ceremony was held at the Mohammed Khalaf Majlis in the Al Karama area in Abu Dhabi, and was attended by a number of tournament participants, members of the organising committee, and media representatives.

The top three place holders were Hamad Al Kamali, crowned with the first place prize award and AED200,000 after reeling in a kingfish weighing 32.69 kg, Omar Al Buraiki, who received the second place prize and AED150,000, and Muhammad Al Marzooqi, who received the third place and AED100,000.

Participants in the tournament who came from outside the UAE, namely from the Jordan, Oman, and Bahrain, were also honoured, as well as the Emirati women’s Al Namous team, and the supporting bodies, sponsors and partners who played a major role in the successes achieved in the tournament.

These include Abu Dhabi Marine Sports Club, Abu Dhabi Heritage Authority, Yas Canal, Delma Marine, Abu Dhabi Marine, National Guard Command, Abu Dhabi Civil Defense Authority, Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi and Mohammed Khalaf Majlis.

More than 1,500 anglers participated in the largest event of its kind in the region, aboard more than 360 fishing boats. A total of 166 kingfish were delivered for weighing by 138 boats, and participants competed for cash prizes worth a total of AED1 million.

The Abu Dhabi Grand Kingfish Championship has become one of the most important marine sporting events which preserves kingfishing amongst UAE Nationals, encourages the community to practice the sport of fishing, restores the local marine heritage, provides opportunities for amateurs to practice fishing, and revives the spirit of competition among them in the sport.

Aref Hamad Al Awani, General Secretary of the Abu Dhabi Sports Council, extended his sincere thanks to H.H. Sheikh Nahyan bin Zayed Al Nahyan for his generous sponsorship of the maritime festival, which promotes making sport part of a daily lifestyle and aims to revive marine fishing sports.

Aref Hamad Al Awani, General Secretary of the Abu Dhabi Sports Council, said, “We thank everyone who contributed to the amazing successes achieved by the tournament, since its announcement. We also extend our thanks to those who contributed to supporting the tournament, including sponsors and strategic partners. We would like to pay tribute here to the great role played by the organising committees in the success of the tournament, and we promise everyone that there’s more to come.”