04 July 2006
Dubai: Lifeguards from Wild Wadi have been named the best in the UAE after triumphing in the Middle East's first lifesaving championship.
Ten teams of four lifeguards from venues across the UAE competed in Le Meridien's Lifeguard Championship 2006, held at Le Meridien Al Aqah Beach Resort.
Organisers said the entrants, who came from Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Fujairah, performed well despite "punishing midday heat" and rough sea conditions.
The teams vied for the fastest performance times in pool and beachfront endurance tests and staged emergency scenarios.
The Wild Wadi entrants secured wins in the pool and beach emergency incident categories of the competition as well as the team endurance section.
Second place went to a team from Madinat Jumeirah in Dubai while lifeguards from Jumeirah Beach Club finished third.
Fourth place was jointly awarded to a team from Le Meridien Al Aqah and Le Royal Meridien.
"Fielding 10 team for this initial lifesaving competition was a fantastic response for what will now be an annual event.
"What we've done as a community is to highlight the critical job performed every day by the nation's lifeguards, while raising awareness about the need for high water safety standards across the UAE," said Patrick Antaki, Le Meridien Al Aqah's General Manager.
Among those at the event was Peter Whittall, a representative of the Institute of Sport and Recreation Management (ISRM) and the Institute of Qualified Lifeguards (IQL) in the UK.
Sponsors of the event included Al Boom Marine, Coca Cola, Emirates, Evian, Fujairah International Marine Club, Milco, Water Safety Products Inc and the Institute of Sport and Recreation Management.
All 40 lifeguards taking part in the competition were men, but organisers said they hoped there would be women entrants as well in future.
Lifeguards ride sea kayaks as part of the endurance tests.
By Daniel Bardsley and Fuad Ali
Gulf News 2006. All rights reserved.
