UAE sports: Ras Al Khaimah Rally winners; Finale set for Emirates School Karting Championship

News and notes from around the UAE sporting world this week.

Action from the long jump on day 2 of the Fazza IPC Athletics Grand Prix. March 22 2016. Photo Courtesy: Fazza IPC Athletics Grand Prix

Rallying

• Sheikh Abdullah roughs it out at RAK: Sheikh Abdullah Al Qassimi overcame a stiff challenge from Rashid Al Ketbi to win the Ras Al Khaimah Rally, the third round of the UAE Rally Championship, for the third consecutive year. Sheikh Abdullah, driving a Ford Fiesta RRC alongside Gaby Khoury, finished 40.2 seconds ahead of the Ford Fiesta R5 of Al Ketbi and Karina Hepperle, who struggled with mechanical problems in the final stages. Mohammed Al Qassimi and Yousuf Matar were third in their Subaru Impreza.

Karting

• Schools competition is too close to call: The Emirates Schools Karting Championship is headed for an exciting finale on April 23 after the Dubai English Speaking College (DESC1) won the third round at the Dubai Kartdrome on Sunday to close the gap on championship leaders Jumeirah English Speaking School, Arabian Ranches (Jess). The DESC1 team, comprising Giulio Peroni, Jad Makarem and Jason Walton, finished a mere 5.6 seconds ahead of Eliot Jones, Max Tryggvason and Sam Burtonwood of the Jess, to take their tally to 91 points and reduce Jess’s lead to nine points.

Endurance

• MRM Stables clinch grand slam treble: The MRM Stables completed the endurance grand slam treble, adding the Dubai Crown Prince Cup to The President’s Cup and Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Cup won earlier in the season. Sheikh Rashid Dalmook rode Nopoli Del Mar to victory in the 120-kilometre race, the highlight of the four-day Dubai Crown Prince Festival, at the Dubai International Endurance City. Ghanim Said Al Owaisi on Fazza-3 Stables’ Wamid was runner-up ahead of the MRM horse Nabi Du Cassou, ridden by Saeed Mohammed Al Mehairi. Sheikh Rashid was also the winner of The President’s Cup in Abu Dhabi and Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai, retained the Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Cup, both over 160km distances for the MRM Stables.

Cricket

• Ibsons lose despite Fayyaz’s rich haul: UAE left-arm spinner Fayyaz Ahmed grabbed four wickets and Misbah Khan took three, but their efforts went in vain as Ibsons went down to LLH Hospital by eight runs in the Asianet Premier League Twenty20 tournament at The Sevens grounds in Dubai. LLH Hospital were dismissed for 124 and Ibsons in reply were bowled out for 119. Jalal Bukhari returned with three for 19 and chipped in with a useful 24 for the winners.

• Inter-emirate action put off by a day: The second-round matches of the Al Ain Water National Inter-Emirate tournament were called off after the rains in the morning left the playing areas covered with puddles of water and have been rescheduled for today. Dubai Cricket Council and Sharjah head the table with first-round wins over Abu Dhabi and Ajman.

University

• Memorable double for NYU Abu Dhabi: New York University Abu Dhabi men’s team clinched both the basketball and football Division 2 titles in the Abu Dhabi Inter-University Sports League. They defeated Masdar Institute by 15 points in the basketball final and edged out Al Ain College of Science and Technology 3-2 in the football final.