Badminton in Dubai took another big step forward on Saturday when 176 girls from 15 schools participated in the first Shuttle Time Dubai Girls’ Schools Championships at the Salah Addin Sports Hall, Al Mamzar.

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A further 23 girls from four schools participated in the Emirati Badminton Challenge which ran concurrently.

The six teams making it through to the finals in the three age divisions of Under 13, Under 15 and Under 17, along with the top players from the Emirati Badminton Challenge, will now head to the Championship Finals on Wednesday 29 April, where they will also meet world number one Saina Nehwal of India.

The girls’ teams will be joined by the six teams who qualified at the Boys’ Championships and Boys’ Emirati Badminton Challenge held on 18 April.

Participants in the Schools Championships will not only get the chance to meet Nehwal, but could also win tickets to December’s Dubai World Superseries Finals, coaching clinics with former world number one Peter Gade, as well as badminton kits.

Nehwal made history earlier this month when she became the first Indian player to take the top spot in the world rankings.

While attending the Schools Championships in Dubai, Nehwal will also take part in a coaching clinic with the participating students, as well as signing autographs in a session open to the public from 12.30-1pm.

The Schools Championships Finals, organised in conjunction with the Dubai Sports Council, will be held at the Sports Zone, Fitness First, The Meadows from 9am – 1pm on Wednesday 29 April.