The UAE Open Water Swimming Cup for Juniors and Seniors, successfully organized by the Dubai International Marine Club (DIMC) IN in collaboration with the UAE Swimming Federation at Jumeirah 2 Open Beach, saw outstanding performances from swimmers representing Fujairah, Abu Dhabi, and Al Wasl. The competition featured over 70 male and female swimmers from various clubs across the country.
In the senior category (5km), Octavian Lobo from Fujairah claimed the championship title with a time of 01:00:05:01, surpassing Abu Dhabi’s Alberto Bosledio (second place) and Zayed Al Jabri (third place).
In the 14-15 years junior category (3km), Zach Gillesius from Abu Dhabi emerged victorious with a time of 37:07:62, followed by Eyad Abu Shadi (Al Wasl) in second and Mohammed Al Yamahi (Fujairah) in third. Meanwhile, in the 16-17 years junior category (5km), Omar Khidr from Al Wasl secured the top position with a time of 51:03:41, while Fujairah’s Hamad Al Ali and Suhail Al Hinaei claimed second and third place, respectively.
The team championship standings placed Abu Dhabi Aquatic Club at the top of the senior category with 70 points, followed by Al Wasl with an equal 70 points, and Fujairah in third with 30 points. In the junior category, Fujairah dominated with 180 points, ahead of Al Wasl (140 points) and Abu Dhabi (120 points). Fujairah also secured first place in both the 14-15 and 16-17-year-old categories, outperforming Al Wasl (second) and Abu Dhabi (third).
The UAE Swimming Federation honored the best performers of the tournament, with Zach Gillesius (Abu Dhabi) winning the best swimmer award for the 14-15 category, Omar Khidr (Al Wasl) for the 16-17 category, and Octavian Lobo (Fujairah) being named the best senior swimmer. Among the female competitors, Bisan Al Shurbaji (Al Wasl) received the Under-15 award, and Aisha Al Mehairi (Al Wasl) was recognized as the top swimmer in the Under-17 category. Coaching excellence awards were presented to Sabri Mohamed (Fujairah) for the 14-15 category and Sherif Zakaria (Abu Dhabi) for the 16-17 category.
Following the conclusion of the event, Mohammed Al Marri, Director of the Sports Affair Department in DIMC, along with Colonel Ali Abdullah Al Naqbi from the Ports Police Station, awarded the top three winners in the junior and senior categories. DIMC also presented commemorative shields to representatives of the UAE Swimming Federation and participating clubs, marking another successful event in the UAE's aquatic sports calendar.
