It’s been a busy time for Duplays having run numerous sporting competitions since the start of the year, but this hasn’t stopped them from launching two new men’s basketball leagues with attractive prizes up for grabs.
Their Division One tournament at Dubai International Academy will see players test themselves in the ‘Competitive’ level on a weekly basis every Monday from March 21.
For those, who are an intermediate or new to the sport, they can still be part of the fun by signing up for the Division Two event, played every Wednesday from March 23 at the GEMS Wellington Academy in Al Khail.
As the UAE’s largest sport and social club with over 5,000 members, Duplays know a thing or two about sport. Their popular leagues cover a range of sports including volleyball, cricket, badminton, and basketball is no different.
Their previous editions have been a big hit with increasing numbers of teams attending each event, and it’s no surprise considering basketball is widely played among the community in the UAE.
Increasing popularity: More and more teams are signing up.
“Basketball is really big in this country and every time we’ve held basketball leagues, it’s been really good,” said Kris Belen, league administrator at Duplays. “We’ve had a good response to entry numbers so far but with still a few days to sign up, we expect that number to increase.”
Teams will play one match per week with the top sides advancing to the knock-out stages with the championship title decided on the eighth week of the league.
Team entries cost Dh3,500 per squad. Both events will follow the regular FIBA rules and players must be 16 and over.
“We’ve found there’s a lot of college and university players who wanted to play, and that’s why we’ve allowed youths to play in this competition. It’s a great way for them to play against the adults and after all we want to play our part in promoting the sport in the UAE and to ensure they keep a healthy lifestyle,” she said.
She added: “We have some great prizes for teams to win from Claw BBQ plus there will be accolades for the Most Valuable Player and other awards.”
With registration closing for both leagues next Wednesday (Division One) and Friday (Division Two), Belen insists there are plenty of positives.
“The matches will be challenging and fun. Both are in two fantastic locations and I’m sure the players will enjoy themselves.”
WHAT: Duplays Basketball Leagues
WHERE: Dubai International Academy (Div One) and GEMS Wellington Academy (Div Two)
WHEN: Division One from Monday 21 March, and Division Two from Wednesday, 23 March
CONTACT: For more info, visit www. duplaysdubai.playpass.com.