DUBAI // A huge community sports tournament involving more than 1,600 players and 144 teams kicks off in Dubai later this month.
Furjan, an initiative by Dubai Sports Council (DSC), involves football, basketball and volleyball competitions being played on local parks, starting on June 20. Matches will take place in two main zones, Deira and Bur Dubai, and teams will play in district competitions with the winners graduating towards the finale on July 29.
The 104 football teams will start their competition at eight centres, four each in Deira and Bur Dubai.
The 24 basketball teams have been divided into two centres at each, while the 16 volleyball teams will be battling it out at centre in each of those to zones.
"With the schools and colleges closed, the young people have a lot of free time during the summers," said Ahmed al Sharif, the secretary general of DSC. "So this is an effort to give them something to do and enjoy the benefits of sports.
"One of our goals is to unearth new talent. In the first year, we discovered one of our best beach soccer players, Adil [al Rahi]. After just one year, he participated in the GCC tournament in Oman and won the best player award.
"We also want to attract the expatriates and encourage them to participate. In the first year, this event was for only the Emiratis, so we had just football. We know the Filipinos love basketball, so we added that in the second year. We know the Indians and Pakistanis enjoy volleyball, so this year it is part of the tournament."
Ahmed Abdulkareem, the director of public gardens at Dubai Municipality, added: "We hope this event will help in increasing the participation … in sports and physical activities."
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The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
The studios taking part (so far)
- Punch
- Vogue Fitness
- Sweat
- Bodytree Studio
- The Hot House
- The Room
- Inspire Sports (Ladies Only)
- Cryo
Suggested picnic spots
Abu Dhabi
Umm Al Emarat Park
Yas Gateway Park
Delma Park
Al Bateen beach
Saadiyaat beach
The Corniche
Zayed Sports City
Dubai
Kite Beach
Zabeel Park
Al Nahda Pond Park
Mushrif Park
Safa Park
Al Mamzar Beach Park
Al Qudrah Lakes