SHARJAH // Abdulrahman al Ali has lost 25 kilograms over the past year since he started spending 10 hours a week running, swimming and playing football.
Now, the 22-year-old Sharjah Men's College student has an unexpected new partner to help him get more fit: the Sharjah Football Club.
Mr al Ali is one of 60 business and IT students from the college taking part in a new partnership between the college and the Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT) and the football club to improve their health.
The programme is based on a similar one in the UK called Creating Chances, which gets Premier League football clubs involved in communities.
Mr al Ali, who once weighed 110kg, says he will need the extra help.
"I can't cut out junk food and fizzy drink though," he said. "I've grown up on this so it's very hard. It's an addiction. It's the lifestyle here and around the world, not just the UAE."
The general manager of Sharjah FC, Tim March, said the programme was only the first stage in a wider effort by the club to become involved in the lives of young people and their communities.
"It's part of a bigger picture initiative to get closer to the schools and colleges," he said.
"Community and sports is commonplace in the UK, but none of the clubs here do it. We're trying to be a role model for the other clubs, saying we do need to work with schools, colleges, the whole community."
Under the programme, the Sharjah Men's College students will have to attend two hours of health and wellness classes, in which they will learn about diet, how the bodywork and widespread health problems such as diabetes and obesity, and two hours of physical education a week.
The students will be divided into three groups based on their fitness levels, then directed towards suitable sports, from low-impact walking to football, if they wish to take part.
Mr March will lead some of the students in weekly football coaching sessions.
But most importantly, all the students will get "the opportunity to exercise", said Aart Leeuwenburgh, head of year one at the college.
"They are giving us great access to experts we would not otherwise have had," Mr Leeuwenburgh said.
"We want the students to not see this as a course which they'll leave behind when it's finished, but something they will continue to realise is important in their lives."
On the first day of the course last week, the students measured their body mass index and blood pressure, which will help them track their progress.
Mr Leeuwenburgh said he hoped such programmes would take root across the Emirates, and, indeed, other fitness programmes are afoot across the country.
HCT began offering physical education to students at Dubai Women's College (DWC) two years ago using staff from the health sciences and physical education faculties.
It is now compulsory at the school, as well as at Al Ain and Abu Dhabi Men's Colleges.
Donna Behl, a programme chair for year one from DWC, said the fitness project was not popular when it started.
However, 1,200 students now use the facilities each week, with many graduates even becoming members of the sports club.
"It's been gradual, but now it's becoming a way of life for the students," she said.
Sharjah Women's College is also launching a fitness programme this month for 150 students.
Sharjah FC recently offered its 7,000-capacity stadium free to local schools for sports days, to encourage them to participate in athletics by giving them access to the club's facilities, including football fields and a 400-metre running track.
Our Own English High School and the GEMS Academy have taken advantage of the offer
"As a club, we are supporting education and health together, trying to encourage the students to take responsibility for their own health, but to encourage them to engage at the same time," Mr March said.
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The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Coal Black Mornings
Brett Anderson
Little Brown Book Group
Indoor cricket World Cup:
Insportz, Dubai, September 16-23
UAE fixtures:
Men
Saturday, September 16 – 1.45pm, v New Zealand
Sunday, September 17 – 10.30am, v Australia; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Monday, September 18 – 2pm, v England; 7.15pm, v India
Tuesday, September 19 – 12.15pm, v Singapore; 5.30pm, v Sri Lanka
Thursday, September 21 – 2pm v Malaysia
Friday, September 22 – 3.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 3pm, grand final
Women
Saturday, September 16 – 5.15pm, v Australia
Sunday, September 17 – 2pm, v South Africa; 7.15pm, v New Zealand
Monday, September 18 – 5.30pm, v England
Tuesday, September 19 – 10.30am, v New Zealand; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Thursday, September 21 – 12.15pm, v Australia
Friday, September 22 – 1.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 1pm, grand final
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
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Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
THE SPECS
Engine: Four-cylinder 2.5-litre
Transmission: Seven-speed auto
Power: 165hp
Torque: 241Nm
Price: Dh99,900 to Dh134,000
On sale: now
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
Shubh Mangal Saavdhan
Directed by: RS Prasanna
Starring: Ayushmann Khurrana, Bhumi Pednekar
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
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Australia men's Test cricket fixtures 2021/22
One-off Test v Afghanistan:
Nov 27-Dec 1: Blundstone Arena, Hobart
The Ashes v England:
Dec 8-12: 1st Test, Gabba, Brisbane
Dec 16-20: 2nd Test, Adelaide Oval, Adelaide (day/night)
Dec 26-30: 3rd Test, Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne
Jan 5-9, 2022: 4th Test, Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney
Jan 14-18: 5th Test, Optus Stadium, Perth
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
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Favourite film:
Declan: It was The Commitments but now it’s Bohemian Rhapsody.
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Declan: Las Vegas but I also love getting home to Ireland and seeing everyone back home.
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Ingredients
1 tbsp Spirulina powder
1 banana
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk (full fat preferable)
1 tbsp fresh turmeric or turmeric powder
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2 crushed ice cubes (optional)
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Blend all the ingredients together on high in a high-speed blender until smooth and creamy.
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Pre-school (three - five years)
You can’t yet talk about investing or borrowing, but introduce a “classic” money bank and start putting gifts and allowances away. When the child wants a specific toy, have them save for it and help them track their progress.
Early childhood (six - eight years)
Replace the money bank with three jars labelled ‘saving’, ‘spending’ and ‘sharing’. Have the child divide their allowance into the three jars each week and explain their choices in splitting their pocket money. A guide could be 25 per cent saving, 50 per cent spending, 25 per cent for charity and gift-giving.
Middle childhood (nine - 11 years)
Open a bank savings account and help your child establish a budget and set a savings goal. Introduce the notion of ‘paying yourself first’ by putting away savings as soon as your allowance is paid.
Young teens (12 - 14 years)
Change your child’s allowance from weekly to monthly and help them pinpoint long-range goals such as a trip, so they can start longer-term saving and find new ways to increase their saving.
Teenage (15 - 18 years)
Discuss mutual expectations about university costs and identify what they can help fund and set goals. Don’t pay for everything, so they can experience the pride of contributing.
Young adulthood (19 - 22 years)
Discuss post-graduation plans and future life goals, quantify expenses such as first apartment, work wardrobe, holidays and help them continue to save towards these goals.
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MATCH INFO
Tottenham Hotspur 0 Everton 1 (Calvert-Lewin 55')
Man of the Match Allan (Everton)
SERIES INFO
Cricket World Cup League Two
Nepal, Oman, United States tri-series
Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu
Fixtures
Wednesday February 5, Oman v Nepal
Thursday, February 6, Oman v United States
Saturday, February 8, United States v Nepal
Sunday, February 9, Oman v Nepal
Tuesday, February 11, Oman v United States
Wednesday, February 12, United States v Nepal
Table
The top three sides advance to the 2022 World Cup Qualifier.
The bottom four sides are relegated to the 2022 World Cup playoff
1 United States 8 6 2 0 0 12 0.412
2 Scotland 8 4 3 0 1 9 0.139
3 Namibia 7 4 3 0 0 8 0.008
4 Oman 6 4 2 0 0 8 -0.139
5 UAE 7 3 3 0 1 7 -0.004
6 Nepal 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
7 PNG 8 0 8 0 0 0 -0.458
