11th SABIS® Regional Tournament
Students Break Records at 2017 SABIS® Regional Tournament
The highly anticipated 11th SABIS® Regional Tournament was recently hosted at the International School of Choueifat – Muscat (ISC-Muscat) in Oman on April 21, 22, and 23, 2017. The tournament, which is held every other year, attracted around 1,000 participants from 24 SABIS® schools in 14 countries around the world including Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Egypt, Germany, Jordan, Kurdistan, Lebanon, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Syria, and the U.A.E.
The SABIS® Regional Tournament is a sports tournament that allows students in SABIS® schools to showcase their athletic talent, team spirit, and true sportsmanship by competing in a series of sports challenges. Participating students enthusiastically competed in 28 different categories in four sports: basketball, football, track & field, and swimming.
The event kicked off with a grand Opening Ceremony that welcomed VIP guests including H.H. Al Sayyid Taimur Assad Tariq Al Said – Research Council, Assistant Secretary General in Communication, as well as members of the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Sports, parents, community members, and more. Guests were enchanted by extravagant performances by the official Omani air force marching band, horseback riders, and the ISC-Muscat student dance performance. Following the performances, the audience was addressed by Mrs. Fatma Abdulabbas Noorani – Director General of Private Schools at the Omani Ministry of Education, SABIS® Vice President Victor Saad, and ISC-Muscat School Director Armen Mansourian.
In his speech, Victor Saad stated: “I would thus urge all our treasured competitors who have travelled to be with us today to know that when they explode from the starting blocks, plunge into the pool, or score those vital goals, they will not just be doing so to raise flags, win medals, or please coaches… they will also be upholding timeless sporting values that have endured for many years. Winning is, of course, important but creating treasured experiences is of such greater worth.”
The event was a huge success, with guest enjoying the great ambiance, music, food court, and the competitions. Students from SABIS® schools treated the audience to an awesome showcase of their strength, endurance, and athletic capabilities. Competitions were close and the judges were impressed by the high level of sportsmanship witnessed at the event.
All participating schools had their share of victory and medals were awarded to winning teams for their hard work and success. In basketball, the audience witnessed a close and exciting game between the SIS-Adma and ISC-Cairo girls’ teams with the ISC-Cairo girls’ coming out victorious. The basketball boys’ tournament was just as close with ISC-Dubai and ISC-Choueifat facing off until the last minute and ISC-Choueifat winning the game. In football, the ISC-Koura boys under 10 team defeated the ISC-Amman boys under 10 team in a thrilling match. For the boys under 14 football teams, ISC-Muscat and ISC-Erbil displayed great skills on the football field and ISC-Muscat came in first defeating ISC-Erbil.
The swimming and track & field competitions were fierce, with 10 new records set, three in track & field and seven in swimming, out of the 24 existing competitions. Students from Egypt, Germany, Jordan, KSA, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Romania, and U.A.E. brought their best to the competition and took home gold medals for their success in these sports. With such a terrific performance, these student athletes have set the bar high for future competitors.
For more information about the 11th SABIS® Regional Tournament visit their official Facebook page at facebook.com/SABISRegionalTournament or visit regionaltournament-sabis.net.
