The UAE's No1 golfer, Ahmad Skaik, said he hopes his participation in the 2022 Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship can help inspire the next generation of golfers from the Emirates.
Skaik, 24, will tee it up alongside some of the biggest names in the game at the January 20-23 Rolex Series event, which will be hosted for the first time at Yas Links. Among the players set to compete in Abu Dhabi include world No 2 Collin Morikawa, four-time major winner Rory McIlroy, and world No 6 Victor Hovland.
Former tournament winners Tommy Fleetwood, Shane Lowry, and Lee Westwood, as well as defending champion Tyrrell Hatton and former world No 1 Adam Scott, will also be vying for the Falcon Trophy.
Skaik debuted at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship in 2020, and he made history last November with an opening round 68 at the Aviv Dubai Championship 2021, the best round by an Emirati at a DP World Tour event.
Skaik also triumphed in the 2020 UAE Presidents Cup, and heads into the tournament relishing the opportunity to play alongside some of the world’s biggest golf stars.
“It is an honour to be invited to play in Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship and to compete on the DP World Tour alongside these superstar names," he said. "I’m looking forward to taking on the Yas Links golf course, and I know it will be a different experience for lots of the players. Hopefully, I can use my local knowledge and experience to my advantage.
“I had a fantastic experience in the previous two years, and I hope to make more memories this week. I’m always looking to improve, and I feel in good form, striking the ball well. I’m thankful to the Abu Dhabi Sports Council for this opportunity and I hope I can inspire the next generation of golfers in the UAE.”
Skaik will be joined at the 17th Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship by fellow local amateur Josh Hill, who qualified after winning the Abu Dhabi Amateur Championship in December. It will be the Dubai-based 17-year-old's second appearance at the event.
“We are delighted to welcome back Ahmad to the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship for the third year running," Aref Al Awani, General Secretary of Abu Dhabi Sports Council said. "He is the shining star of Emirati golf and destined to achieve great things in the future. We look forward to seeing how Ahmad fares alongside some of the greats at this year’s tournament and back him wholeheartedly as our local inspiration.”
After competing in Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship this week, Skaik will also line up alongside stellar fields in both the Slync.io Dubai Desert Classic from January 27-30, and the Ras Al Khaimah Championship presented by Phoenix Capital from February 3-6 as part of the DP World Tour Desert Swing 2022.
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
If you go...
Etihad Airways flies from Abu Dhabi to Kuala Lumpur, from about Dh3,600. Air Asia currently flies from Kuala Lumpur to Terengganu, with Berjaya Hotels & Resorts planning to launch direct chartered flights to Redang Island in the near future. Rooms at The Taaras Beach and Spa Resort start from 680RM (Dh597).
Best Academy: Ajax and Benfica
Best Agent: Jorge Mendes
Best Club : Liverpool
Best Coach: Jurgen Klopp (Liverpool)
Best Goalkeeper: Alisson Becker
Best Men’s Player: Cristiano Ronaldo
Best Partnership of the Year Award by SportBusiness: Manchester City and SAP
Best Referee: Stephanie Frappart
Best Revelation Player: Joao Felix (Atletico Madrid and Portugal)
Best Sporting Director: Andrea Berta (Atletico Madrid)
Best Women's Player: Lucy Bronze
Best Young Arab Player: Achraf Hakimi
Kooora – Best Arab Club: Al Hilal (Saudi Arabia)
Kooora – Best Arab Player: Abderrazak Hamdallah (Al-Nassr FC, Saudi Arabia)
Player Career Award: Miralem Pjanic and Ryan Giggs
Defence review at a glance
• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”
• Prioritise a shift towards working with AI and autonomous systems
• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.
• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%
• More F-35 fighter jets required in the next decade
• New “hybrid Navy” with AUKUS submarines and autonomous vessels
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Visit Abu Dhabi culinary team's top Emirati restaurants in Abu Dhabi
Yadoo’s House Restaurant & Cafe
For the karak and Yoodo's house platter with includes eggs, balaleet, khamir and chebab bread.
Golden Dallah
For the cappuccino, luqaimat and aseeda.
Al Mrzab Restaurant
For the shrimp murabian and Kuwaiti options including Kuwaiti machboos with kebab and spicy sauce.
Al Derwaza
For the fish hubul, regag bread, biryani and special seafood soup.
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Tottenham v Ajax, Tuesday, 11pm (UAE).
Second leg
Ajax v Tottenham, Wednesday, May 8, 11pm
Games on BeIN Sports
Getting there
The flights
Emirates and Etihad fly to Johannesburg or Cape Town daily. Flights cost from about Dh3,325, with a flying time of 8hours and 15 minutes. From there, fly South African Airlines or Air Namibia to Namibia’s Windhoek Hosea Kutako International Airport, for about Dh850. Flying time is 2 hours.
The stay
Wilderness Little Kulala offers stays from £460 (Dh2,135) per person, per night. It is one of seven Wilderness Safari lodges in Namibia; www.wilderness-safaris.com.
Skeleton Coast Safaris’ four-day adventure involves joining a very small group in a private plane, flying to some of the remotest areas in the world, with each night spent at a different camp. It costs from US$8,335.30 (Dh30,611); www.skeletoncoastsafaris.com
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
The bio
Date of Birth: April 25, 1993
Place of Birth: Dubai, UAE
Marital Status: Single
School: Al Sufouh in Jumeirah, Dubai
University: Emirates Airline National Cadet Programme and Hamdan University
Job Title: Pilot, First Officer
Number of hours flying in a Boeing 777: 1,200
Number of flights: Approximately 300
Hobbies: Exercising
Nicest destination: Milan, New Zealand, Seattle for shopping
Least nice destination: Kabul, but someone has to do it. It’s not scary but at least you can tick the box that you’ve been
Favourite place to visit: Dubai, there’s no place like home
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