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Contents
04
10
04 Where the
action is...
Dubai Sports City is all
set to host Friday Night
Live, Piknic Electronik,
Michael Bublé and Drake
08 Crazy for cricket
Soak in the spirit of the
ICC Cricket World Cup
at DSC
10 Trained to
perform
The new term at
DSC’s academies
is off to an
exciting start
14 Fitness
comes first
18 Veggie wonders
Vegetables take centre
stage in our meals
22 Coming home
to luxury
Fortuna Village continues
to be popular with
investors for its offerings
and amenities
26 Cause to
celebrate
DSC has had a
sensational season
of events
30 Mark your
diary
A list of upcoming
events at DSC
Improve your
endurance
with tips from
our experts
Publishing Director,
GN Publishing
James Hewes
Head of NPD, GN Publishing
Edward Marr
Editor
Neesha C. Saalian
Chief Subeditor
Victoria Etherington
Pages Editor
Priya Mathew
Subeditors
Krita Coelho, Riaz Naqvi,
Tania Bhattacharya
Production Editor, GN Publishing
Keith Langford
Art Editor
Nicholas D’Souza
Pre-press Operator
Yousaf Naeem
Head of Advertising
Tripti Singh
Advertising Sales Manager
Shahida Khan
[email protected]
Cover pictures: Corbis
A Gulf News sponsored
supplement, produced
and published by
Al Nisr Publishing LLC
14
4
Entertainment
Where the...
ACTI
Dubai Sports City is set too
be the premier destinationn
for events in the region
with Piknic Electronik,
SFL Fight Night and
concerts by Michael Bublé
and Drake raising the bar
By Sanaya Pavri
Pic
tur
es: S
hu
ttersto
O
ne of the compelling reasons for many expats
to move to Dubai is the ability to live the dream.
This could mean living in any one of the glitzy
high-rises, swanky waterfront apartments,
beach-facing villas or the numerous communities that offer a safe and secure space to raise a family.
Considering the plentiful options available, what then
sets Dubai Sports City (DSC) apart from the rest? “Everything that has been created and will be created at DSC is
about excellence, from the fantastic Sports Village with
superb cricket and football pitches and training areas, to
the Dubai International Stadium and the Els Club,” says
Khalid Al Zarooni, President, DSC.
Canadian pop and jazz star
Michael Bublé will perform
for the first time in the UAE
at the Dubai International
Stadium on March 12 and 13
While these are par for the course when it comes to a
sports community, what also makes DSC distinctive is that
it’s the only neighbourhood in the city that also doubles
as a premier destination for international live entertainment events. Dorothee Petz, Event Manager at DSC, says,
“At Dubai Sports City, we have the perfect combination
d
ck a n
su
pp
li e
d
N
is...
of circumstances. [There are] a variety of world-class
venues with state-of-the-art facilities, from the 25,000ve
seat capacity Dubai International Stadium, through to
se
the air-conditioned Indoor Dome that hosts activities
365 days a year. Our Sports Village, with its large open
areas, offers us the chance to host outdoor concerts, exa
hibitions and events for up to 10,000 spectators and — on
hi
a slightly smaller scale — so does the outdoor area outside The Clubhouse at The Els Club, the championship golf
course designed by multiple major winner Ernie Els. So,
we have facilities that offer the perfect solution for whatever the occasion demands.”
5
Head to the Dubai International
Stadium to watch Grammy Awardwinning rapper, songwriter and
actor Drake perform on March 14
From rock concerts and musical events to cultural festivities and Bollywood gala evenings, DSC has played host
to some of the biggest events in the city’s social calendar,
a strategic move on behalf of the management, which realised that diversifying DSC’s entertainment offerings
was the best way to utilise the state-of-the-art facilities
in the community.
“We are proud to be aligned with the vision of Dubai in
hosting world-class events that provide a great experience to spectators, whether they are sports or entertainment events. And the quality and variety of our facilities
allows us the flexibility to stage not only sports but also
entertainment events. We are also keen to ensure that our
facilities are used and enjoyed by as many people as possible and by staging events in addition to the numerous
sporting tournaments and matches we hold, we are doing
exactly that,” adds Petz.
What then are the various facilities and platforms
that DSC offers to make it an ideal venue to host such
events? The Dubai International Stadium has a history
of staging major events with large crowds and caters
to vast numbers of spectators through ensuring they
are well looked after with parking, catering and topclass seating. “In fact, all our venues offer great access
because of the road network around DSC. The variety of
Dubai Sports City’s annual
Oktoberfest celebrations are
among the best in the UAE
6
Entertainment
FRIDAY
NIGHT LIVE
LINE-UP
■ March 13: All American Night
from 5pm to midnight
■ March 20: Friday Night
Live (FNL) with live
music from 5pm to midnight
■ March 27: FNL presents the
Irish Festival from 11am to 1am
■ April 3: Friday Night live
Easter Egg Hunt from 12noon
to midnight
■ April 10: FNL with live music
from 5pm to midnight
Piknic Electronik is an
internationally renowned
brand of daytime electronic
music festivals
Pictures: Supplied
surfaces we have — from grass to artificial to indoor and
outdoor — means that we have flexibility depending on
the event,” says Petz.
Over the years DSC has staged a number of headlining
events and looks forward to numerous more in the future.
It hosted Oscar-winning Indian artist AR Rahman in 2011
the hugely popular anWd successful Dance Arena in 2012
and Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan in 2013.
“All three shows took place at the Dubai International
Stadium, but we have also held our annual German festival, Oktoberfest there, before the completion of the Indoor
Dome, at which point we switched that event to the new
location,” says DSC’s event manager.
■ April 17: FNL with live music
from 5pm to midnight
■ April 24: FNL presents Freedom
Day from 5pm to midnight
■ May 1: FNL with live music
from 5pm to midnight
■ May 8: FNL Closing Party from
5pm to midnight
Artists who are interested in
performing at FNL can email:
[email protected]
Last month ended on an exciting note for DSC with the
first-ever Super Fight League (SFL) mixed martial arts
(MMA) Fight Night — Pakistan versus India at The Dome.
SFL is Asia’s leading MMA organisation and over the past
decade, MMA has developed from a spectacle into a respected sport with a wide audience. SFL has brought MMA
to the UAE with a Dubai-based events management agency and DSC is the venue partner.
This month will see DSC host the first Piknic Electronik
music festival in Dubai. Billed as a family-friendly event,
Piknic Electronik is an internationally renowned brand of
daytime electronic music festivals, which has had tremendous success in Montreal and Barcelona.
Adam Fahim, Co-founder of Piknic Electronik Dubai
and Founder of XWave Media, the organising agency of
the festival, says, “Dubai’s youthful expatriate community works hard, plays hard, and is constantly seeking
new and alternative types of entertainment. That, coupled with the sudden explosion of the electronic music scene here, makes this city a perfect new home for
Piknic Electronik.”
Piknic Electronik Dubai’s 2015 season kicked off on
February 28, with the next dates March 28, April 18 and
May 9. The next season begins in November. Tickets will
be sold at Dh130 online and Dh150 at the door for people
aged 13 years and over.
7
DSC is also the perfect place to get your weekly dose
of fun with the launch of a brand new concept, Friday
Night Live. An open-mic concept show, Friday Night Live
is focused on performance, music, dance and comedy,
featuring a great line-up of performers. The opening
night on March 6 included performances from jazz, funk
and soul trumpeter Karl Marsden and Scottish singer and
guitarist Ian Appleby.
The acoustic sessions are open for local talent. Hosted
by Izzy and Radio 1’s Sheena Kay, Friday Night Live takes
place outdoors at the Sports Village Centre Court.The
first season of Friday Night Live at Dubai Sports City will
run until early May when it pauses for a summer break
before resuming in late September.
Canadian crooner Michael Bublé will perform for the
first time in the UAE at the Dubai International Stadium
on March 12 and 13. The gig by the four-time Grammywinning jazz and pop artist is part of his mammoth 200show To Be Loved tour. The concert is being organised by
Dubai-based Louder Entertainment and DSC is the venue
partner. More than 15,000 fans are expected to attend on
each day.
But if hip-hop’s more your scene, then head to the Dubai
International Stadium to watch Grammy Award-winning
rapper, songwriter and actor, Drake rolling into town for
a live one-off show on March 14. The show will be the biggest hip-hop gig ever held in the Emirates and is expected
to be a sell-out with 20,000 fans in attendance.
“We are also in discussions concerning future events
at the moment. Dubai is very much a destination that
artists and performers want to come to and we want to
ensure we are in the mix to stage events both now and in
the future,” concludes Petz.
Dubai Sports City has hosted
Oscar-winning Indian artist
AR Rahman and a variety of
musicians over the years
Sports zone
Crazy for I
CRICKET
Catch world-class cricketing
action live at the ICC Academy
in Dubai Sports City
By Ashutosh Gupta
The ICC World Cup 2015,
featuring 14 teams, is
being hosted by Australia
and New Zealand until
March 29
n a region known for its love of football, it’s refreshing
to see cricket mania sweep the country, as the UAE
has qualified for the ICC Cricket World Cup for the
first time since 1996.
Which of the 14 participating teams will make it to the
finals? While it would be premature to predict the outcome
of the tournament being played in Australia and New
Zealand, there are always favourites. Will India defend its
title? It’s leading in Pool B and showed good form against
Pakistan and South Africa. However, the current form
and conditions of play Down Under favour Australia, with
tough competition from New Zealand and South Africa.
Regardless of the teams that make the cut, this is
where spectators will be treated to some world-class
cricket. Nothing beats being among the thousands of fans
watching the matches live, but at Dubai Sports City (DSC),
the action comes to you.
The ICC Academy is screening the matches live on
one of its two giant 84-inch screens, and it also has an
excellent line-up of events catering to the city’s cricketing
frenzy — starting with The Challengers Cup, which is
indoor cricket’s equivalent of the Twenty20, featuring
eight-a-side matches and only 12 overs per team. The next
challenges are scheduled from March 16-April 14 and May
1-22. Later, the academy will host the Ramadan Indoor
Cricket Tournament from June 19-July 13, and the Summer
Indoor Cricket Tournament from August 4 to 27.
The Arabian Cricket league is on at the academy
until March 20. The venue will also host the
Australia Shooting Stars vs the England
Development Squad Women’s Series
in April.
Pictures: Corbis
8
10
Sports zone
TRAINED to PERFORM
The stage is set for a lot more action with the start of a new term at
Dubai Sports City’s academies
The Spanish Soccer Schools U8
team with Head Coach Edgar J
Chillon. The team recently won
the Atlantis the Palm DSC Junior
League tournament held at the
Football Academy
■ The Socatots programme is
for toddlers aged between
six months and five years
■ The Spanish Soccer
Schools programme is for
children from six to
16 years of age
■ For details on
the programmes at the
Football Academy, call
04 448 1555, or visit www.
footballacademydubai.com
S
ince their inception, the three academies at
Dubai Sports City (DSC) have seen significant
growth in their programmes and enrolments.
Be it cricket, soccer or golf, the schedules are
nearly full, prompting DSC to look at new venues to accommodate the growing numbers.
DSC’s development programmes at the Football Academy,
ICC Academy and Butch Harmon School of Golf (BHSG),
have grown in strength, offering innovative sessions.
The Football Academy’s Spanish Soccer Schools (SSS) initiative has been having a spectacular run with more than
1,200 students from six to 16 years of age already registered for the new term. The third term started on March 1
and will go on for ten weeks.
“Currently the programmes are held only at the DSC,
but the organisers are exploring the possibility of getting
schools on board as well,” says Inaki Beni, Football Academy Manager, DSC. The Football Academy is also the base
for the Atlantis The Palm
DSC Junior League with
teams from under-six to under-16 playing at the facility
every Saturday. The ongoing Season 2 of the Junior
League, which started in
January, is scheduled to end
in May. What’s more, all this
action takes place under the
supervision of former Real
Madrid and Spain legend
Michel Salgado. Over the
past two years three English Premier League sides
— Swansea City, West Ham
United and Newcastle United — have also held training
camps here.
Pictures: Supplied
“The facilities created at the academy for both the
coaching and league matches are world class,” says
Beni. “It includes outdoor grass and artificial floodlit
pitches, as well as the full-sized, FIFA-approved pitch —
believed to be the only one in the UAE — in the Indoor
Dome that allows football to be played 365 days a year,
whatever the weather.”
Students from the Cricket
Cubs programme with their
coach at the ICC Academy
Like the Footbal Academy, the ICC Academy’s Cricket
Cubs and Warriors programme are also ready for a fresh
season, with the new Spring term running this month.
While the Cricket Cubs started on March 1 and will go on
until May 23, the Warriors programme commenced on
March 6.
■ The Cricket Cubs
“The Spring term is all about getting the players to
sharpen their technical skills, and preparing them for the
range of overseas tours we offer,” says Will Kitchen, Manager, ICC Academy. He says the programme has widened
its scope after it was introduced to girls during the last
season. “We have been working towards setting up regular ladies-only Warriors sessions for all age groups,” says
Kitchen.
■ The ICC Academy offers
The Schools Coaching Programme is another major initiative that was launched by the ICC Academy in its efforts
to introduce cricket to schools in Dubai. Kitchen, who is
also the UAE Cricket High Performance Manager, says,
“We have been receiving quite a good response from various schools for the programme — the fundamental idea
of which is to provide opportunity to cricket fans in all
schools to be coached.”
The ICC Academy hopes that the success of such programmes will enable the development of future stars who
programme is for children
up to the age of six
■ The Warriors programme
is for boys from 12-19
years of age.
a training course for
girls aged 11-18
■ For more information
on the programmes at
the ICC Academy, call
04 448 1355, email info@
ICCacademy.net, or visit
www.iccacademy.net
11
12
Sports zone
could not only represent the country at a regional level
but take it to greater heights at the international level like
the ongoing Cricket World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. Incidentally, the UAE cricket team also trains at the
academy with staff from the ICC Academy supervising the
team’s training programme.
The UAE’s participation in the Cricket World Cup and the
presence of various other star performers could have taken away most of the interest from the playground to the
TV screens, but the ICC Academy has kept the momentum
going with more than half a dozen local tournaments being organised during March and April.
Pictures: Supplied
■ For details on private
sessions at the Butch
Harmon School of Golf,
call 04 425 1040, or visit
www.butchharmondubai.com
Meanwhile, it’s action as usual at the Butch Harmon School of Golf (BHSG). The school is geared to
offer one-on-one sessions using the latest Trackman and SAM PuttLab technology. The school has
also appointed an assistant teaching professional
to coach ladies and juniors — who are beginners — on a
private level.
“We have a very strong group junior programme for children from six years of age all the way through to 16, as
well as the training we do for many juniors individually.
Our programme is age-appropriate and athletically developmental in its content. That means that the juniors get
the right information for their physical and mental maturity level,” says BHSG Director of Instruction Justin Parsons.
“It doesn’t matter whether you or your child or children
have never picked up a club in your lives. We can provide
all equipment here. All that’s needed is just regular golf
apparel and comfortable shoes and we can help bring out
the best in you,” adds Parsons.
14
Sports zone
FITNESS
FOOTBBA
comes first
Improve your endurance and strength with
tips from our fitness experts and coaches
By Ashutosh Gupta
W
ith health, well-being and fitness taking
centre stage in most of our lives, there is
no dearth of options available to stay shipshape. But nothing can beat the thrill of playing a sport that one is passionate about and what better
place than Dubai Sports City (DSC), which offers the best
sports training options in the country?
Playing a sport has so many benefits — along with feeding your passion, keeping you alert and providing the necessary endorphins, it is also the best way to stay fit. From
golf to cricket and football, we get DSC’s highly qualified
coaches and fitness experts to help you better your game
by improving your endurance, strength and fitness levels.
C
hampionship
greens, a highend exclusive club
membership and
personal caddies make golf
the perfect networking activity in DSC, giving you opportunities to connect with
people or even sign milliondirham deals. It is also a
great way to work out.
Most people practise their
swing moves the hardest,
looking to perfect the art
and shave off points on that
all-important handicap. A
combination of the right
coaching and exercises is
the key to improving it.
Pictures: Supplied
Justin Parsons, Director of Instruction at the Butch Harmon School of Golf, DSC, says, “The golf swing is the most
complex arrangement of human movement in any sport. It
requires a multitude of physical attributes, from coordination to explosive strength. Add to that the mental obstacles that golf poses and the various conditions that exist
on the course.”
Typically, a round of golf can take anywhere from four to
six hours. Standing in the same position for long periods
of time will impact muscular performance and elevate fatigue. The solution to this, says Poolan, is breaking down
the key positions in a golf swing, looking at the muscles
that are engaged to support the body during a typical
swing and working on strengthening these muscles.
Championship winner Rory McIlroy is a great example
of how the right training can improve a golfer’s game.
He started with balancing the discrepancies between his
strong right side and relatively weaker left side. He then
moved on to a lower body workout, seeking stabilisation
and greater power generation.
Complementing the workout with a healthy diet, McIlroy dropped his body fat from 22 per cent to 16 per cent
and gained the world’s number one title.
GOLF
Parsons insists that identifying a knowledgeable and
friendly coach is the first step towards playing better golf.
Ability and strength are also crucial and building muscle
in the right way can help you gain consistency in power,
and accuracy. Mark Poolan, Fitness Manager at Fitness
First says, “Assessing muscular imbalances is really important, as the slightest imbalance can affect a golfer’s
ability to swing.”
Muscular imbalances can
affect a golfer’s ability
to swing, so working on
fixing these is key
Justin Parsons, Director
of Instruction at the Butch
Harmon School of Golf, DSC
15
16
Sports zone
A
lthough historically regarded as a gentleman’s
game, with the introduction of shorter formats
such as One Day cricket and Twenty20, a high
level of fitness that was not required earlier
has become vital to a cricketer. Batsmen need remarkable
upper body strength to hit sixes regularly and speed to
run between the wickets, while bowlers need to be explosively powerful, and fielders agile with quick reflexes.
Will Kitchen, ICC Academy
Manager and UAE Cricket
High Performance Manager
“Cricket has become a power sport [where] athletes
are required to produce explosive force for a short period.
Very rarely is a cricketer asked to move for longer than 20
seconds,” says Will Kitchen, Academy Manager and UAE
Cricket High Performance Manager at the ICC Academy
in DSC.
Plyometric training can help players train for speed and
explosive power. Shuttle sprints are the best to improve
running between the wickets, while fielding drop and attack and ladder jumps will help you in fielding.
Most elite cricket players will have a programme which
includes Olympic lifting, for example, a wicket keeper can
be required to squat up to 600 times per day; the training a
player does must therefore reflect the needs of the game.
Batsmen require upper
body strength to hit sixes
regularly and speed to run
between wickets
“The movements involved in batting and bowling are
very abnormal complex actions. Compound movements,
such as squats, deadlifts and military presses are far
more beneficial than isolated movements such as bicep curls,” says Sam Jackson, Sports and Events
Specialist at Fitness First.
Aerobic exercise is vital for
cricket as it helps build endurance
and can be enjoyed in different
ways such as running, cycling, rowing
or swimming. However, running is the
best, as it is a load-bearing workout
that builds power in the legs.
If you need inspiration, consider one of
South Africa’s finest fielders, Jonty Rhodes. His
regimen incorporated elements from various
sports to create a functional routine that helped
him get the acceleration, accuracy and reflexes
he was known for. He practised like a football
goalkeeper, working on his lunges and jumps, to
build his reflexes.
F
ootball is an extreme sport in terms
of physical activity. Short and long
sprints and explosive acceleration aided by muscular endurance, lower body strength
and agility are necessary to
be an ace footballer.
The best training sessions involve speed, agility and
quickness (SAQ) drills, says Poolan. “These are great to
improve neuromuscular performance and power in multiplanar movements. They also improve brain signal efficiency, reaction time and spatial awareness.
“There are plenty of drills to develop SAQ. These usually
involve ladders, mini hurdles and cones. A football [game]
can be incorporated as well.”
You can do single legs, double legs, cross-sectional side
steps, single jumps and more on ladders, says Poolan.
The quicker you move your feet through the ladder, the
more you will improve. “I always use SAQ training at the
end of every warm-up after which one can move on to
endurance-based exercises as well as short intervals. Doing short intervals or high-intensity interval training [HIIT]
will also improve recovery time, which is very important
as football players use short bursts of energy.”
17
Inaki Beni, Football Academy
Manager at DSC, explains
football basics to a student
FOOTBALLL
Inaki Beni, Football Academy Manager at DSC, says,
“When focusing on the fitness aspect, it is important
to understand when, how
and what we can develop in
order to improve strength,
speed, endurance, agility,
coordination and balance
according to the age of the
player. It’s important to understand the body’s limits —
[for example] when you are coaching a child who is 10, a
teenager at 15 or an 18-year-old young player. Appropriate
loads make big improvements but working with inappropriate loads can cause serious injuries.”
A demanding sport, football expects a lot from the human body. Therefore HIIT is a must to build instant thrust,
linear speed, directional movement and agility.
Additionally, since a footballer may end up running up
to 10km per game, endurance is crucial. But long-distance
running or cycling is not the answer — a combination of
barrier sprints, a jump-rope regimen and fast swim laps is.
Beni says it is important
to understand when, how
and what can be done to
improve speed, strength,
agility and balance
18
Cuisine
wonders
d
From puy lentils to
beetroot, avocados and
kale, vegetables are taking
centre stage in our dishes
Compiled by Sanaya Pavri
Melon avocado caprese
METHOD
INGREDIENTS
Rock melon,
seeds removed
Avocado
Mozzarella
Basil vinaigrette
Balsamic reduction
Sea salt
Crushed
peppercorns
Extra virgin olive oil
Datterini tomatoes
•
¼
½
60g
10ml
10ml
1 tsp
•
a pinch
10ml
3
•
Slice the melon and avocado
and place in a large bowl.
Cut the mozzarella to match
the thickness of the sliced
melon, add to the bowl. Mix
everything together with
basil vinaigrette.
Line a plate with balsamic
reduction and place the
melon, avocado and cheese
on top. Sprinkle with sea salt
and crushed peppercorns,
and drizzle with olive oil.
Slice the tomatoes and add
as a garnish to serve.
19
Pictures: Shutterstock
Kale and
quinoa salad
INGREDIENTS
Lentil and baby spinach salad
INGREDIENTS
Puy lentils
50g
Whole green lentils
40g
Beetroot
1
Salt
1 tbsp
Pepper
½ tbsp
Olive oil
15ml
Lemon juice
1 tsp
Baby spinach
30g
Grapefruit wedge
1
Orange wedge
1
Baby romaine lettuce
2
Feta cheese,
crumbled
2 tbsp
METHOD
•
Wash and soak the lentils
overnight. The next day, boil
them until soft and set aside.
•
•
•
•
Preheat the oven to 150°C.
Marinate the beetroot with
some of the salt, pepper
and olive oil and roast
until soft for 20 minutes.
Make a vinaigrette using
lemon juice, olive oil, salt
and pepper. Chop the
roasted beetroot into small
even cubes. Toss the lentils
with the vinaigrette.
Mix the spinach, grapefruit
and orange wedges.
Cut the baby romaine
lettuce into wedges.
Assemble all the
ingredients on a platter,
and scatter with the
crumbled cheese to serve.
Quinoa seeds
Red grapes
Red bell pepper
Kale
Sunflower seeds
Lemon peel, grated
Balsamic dressing
6 tbsp
12
1
I bunch
2 tbsp
¼ tsp
10ml
METHOD
•
•
•
•
Boil the quinoa seeds in
salted water, then cool.
Deseed the grapes, chop
the bell pepper, and clean
and chop the kale.
Toast the sunflower seeds
until crispy.
Arrange the kale on a
plate. Toss the quinoa
with the bell pepper,
lemon peel and balsamic
dressing and place over
the kale. Garnish with
the grapes and sunflower
seeds to serve.
Recipes courtesy of Akhilesh Singh, Executive Sous Chef, The Els Club
20
Cuisine
Vegetable spaghetti with tomato sauce
Fact
file
Carrots are a good source
of vitamin A and minerals
such as potassium and
manganese. They also
contain moderate amounts
of sodium, iron, zinc,
copper and selenium.
Like the carrot,
zucchini is rich
in carotenes.
INGREDIENTS
Green zucchini
1
Yellow zucchini
1
Large carrot
1
Extra virgin olive oil
4 tbsp
Garlic cloves, smashed
5
Fresh basil leaves, cut into
fine strips
4
Chilli flakes
1 tsp
Large red tomato, diced
1
Tomato sauce
100ml
Green goodness
INGREDIENTS
Banana
1
Chopped kale
1 cup
Baby spinach
5 cups
Cucumbers, chopped
5
Celery stick, chopped
1
Kiwi, peeled and chopped 5
Green apples, peeled
and sliced
5
Coconut water
100ml
METHOD
•
Place all the ingredients
in a blender with a few
cubes of ice and blitz until
smooth. Serve fresh.
Pictures: Supplied and Shutterstock
Tostones with
avocado salsa
INGREDIENTS
Coconut oil
100ml
Plantain, peeled and sliced into
4cm long strips
1
Avocado, peeled and cubed
1
Tomato, seeded and diced
1
Onions, minced
5
Garlic cloves, minced
5
Red grape vinegar
2 tbsp
Olive oil
1 tbsp
Lemon juice
1 tbsp
METHOD
•
METHOD
•
•
•
Use a mandolin to cut
spaghetti-like strands of
the zucchini and carrot.
Heat the olive oil in a
frying pan. Add the garlic
and basil and cook until
the garlic turns golden.
Add the chilli flakes.
Add the fresh tomato,
cover and cook on high
heat for 3 minutes. The
tomato will steam and
turn into a sauce of sorts.
•
•
•
Remove the cover and
add the tomato sauce and
a pinch of salt. Once the
sauce starts to boil, add
the vegetables and cover
again to cook them until
they’re soft — about
2 minutes.
Remove the cover and mix
evenly. Cook for about
2 more minutes and check
for seasoning.
Serve hot.
•
•
•
Heat the oil and fry the
plantain for 2-3 minutes.
Remove with a slotted spoon
and place in a paper bag.
Gently flatten them using
a pan and cool.
Fry the plantain again in
the same coconut oil for 2-3
minutes until they are crispy.
In a large bowl mix the
avocado, tomato, onions,
garlic, vinegar, olive oil and
lemon juice to make the salsa.
Season with sea salt.
Serve the crispy, hot tostones
with salsa on the side or
heaped on each piece.
Recipes courtesy of Christopher Zerbe, Chef and Operations Manager, The Cycle Bistro
21
22
Real Estate
Coming home to
Fortuna Village,
in the Victory Heights
community,continues to be
popular with investors and
homeowners for its
offerings and amenities
By Libini Joy
LUXURY
W
ith The Els Club and other outstanding sporting facilities on its doorstep, as well as numerous schools in the neighbourhood, it’s
no surprise that more than 5,000 people have
made Victory Heights their home over the past few years.
Fortuna Village is the latest addition to this golf course
community spread across 25 million square feet of green
expanse in Dubai Sports City (DSC). The eighth village
within the Victory Heights community, it was showcased
last September at the Cityscape Global exhibition in Dubai.
Commenting on the development, Khalid Al Zarooni,
President, DSC, said, “The launch of Fortuna Village reflects the continued rapid growth of real estate within
DSC and the desire of the increasing number of people,
choosing to make us their location of choice for life within our
great city.”
Scheduled to be completed in
March 2016, Fortuna Village will
comprise 30 luxury town houses,
each with a built-up area of around
2,545-2,741 square feet, with plot
sizes varying from 2,658-2,742
square feet. These master-crafted
homes will come with four bedrooms, a maid’s room and storeroom as well as a garage, terrace
and garden.
“Surrounded by lush greenery,
these houses [will] ensure complete privacy and serenity,” says
Catherine Kehoe, Real Estate Manager, DSC. “The space and luxurious setting make [them] one of a kind.”
The Fortuna Village town houses have been designed to
reflect the ambience of a Spanish villa community. New
concepts and coordinated colour schemes blend well to
make each home an architectural masterpiece.
“With matching colour schemes for the doors and
floors, well-equipped bedrooms with spacious wardrobes
and shelves, and superior granite kitchen tops and sanitary ware with porcelain finishes, each square foot is built
to the highest specifications in the industry,” says Kehoe.
The houses have been designed to exacting standards,
including stringent green-compliant features in order to
reduce the carbon footprint. “The paint we have chosen is
100 per cent non-toxic and has a minimum light reflective
quality of 45 per cent,” says Kehoe.
“We are also promoting sustainable energy through the
use of solar power and the inclusion of timber approved
by Dubai Municipality. We [will] check the air quality [in
the units] before handing them over to [their] owners, and
the water is checked regularly and certified for purity.”
Pictures: Supplied
Residents of Fortuna
Village will have access
to luxurious amenities
including a community
swimming pool and clubhouse
Payment
Plan for
Fortuna
Village
■ No 4% land
registration fee
■ 10% as down payment
■ 10% on 25% project
completion
Kehoe adds that all units conform to Dubai Municipality’s new standards for volatile organic compounds (VOC).
Prices for the town houses start from Dh3 million, with
only 10 per cent to be given as down payment. With home
finance options available for the project, buyers can borrow up to 50 per cent of the property value. Fifty per cent
of the total payment is to be made during the construction
phases of the property and the remaining 50 per cent is to
be paid on the completion of the project, providing an ex-
■ 10% on 45% project
completion
■ 10% on 60% project
completion
■ 10% on 70% project
completion
■ 50% on 100% project
completion
23
24
Real Estate
cellent payment plan for investors and homeowners alike.
A major incentive for purchasers is an ongoing promotion
where no registration fee is charged to the buyer. The developer will pay the 4 per cent fee.
In addition, Victory Heights is your best bet if you are
looking for reputed educational institutions situated nearby — be it the well-established Bradenton Preparatory
School, run by GEMS Education, or the Victory Heights Primary School and the Wonder Years Nursery.
Residents also have access to world-class sporting
amenities, especially at DSC’s Sports Village. The Butch
Harmon School of Golf located alongside The Els Club offers very good golf classes.
Pictures: Supplied
The Fortuna Village
town houses (above) are
a luxurious development
in Victory Heights (top)
“The community gives residents the chance to witness
world-class sporting events as well,” says Vijay Sajjanhar,
Chief Financial Officer, DSC. “The Els Club hosts golf tournaments regularly, while the Dubai International Stadium
stages cricket matches.
“The Indoor Dome, with its full-size Fifa-approved pitch,
as well as the soon-to-be-opened swimming academy and
fitness suite, offer residents the opportunity to work out
and stay fit 365 days a year, whatever the weather. The
[indoor facility] is also home to our rapidly growing Spanish Soccer Schools programme.”
Sajjanhar says DSC is all about the perfect mix of luxury
and convenience and Fortuna Village is an ideal reflection
of that. “It is the latest development in DSC’s ever-evolving landscape and we look forward to residents at Fortuna
Village enjoying all the benefits of living [here].”
Fortuna Village is located
next to The Els Club, the
18-hole championship golf
course designed by the
legendary Ernie Els
Managing Assets,
efficiently
Business Development
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A
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S
Pest Control
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A
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Water Tank Cleaning
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We Care 24/7
Contact : 04 3689911
www.dscfs.ae
26
Community news
CAUSE TO CELEBRATE
From showcasing the world’s biggest bat to sponsoring the UAE’s first
professional cycling team, Dubai Sports City has had a sensational season
Pictures: Supplied
World’s largest bat unveiled
at DSC’s ICC Academy
A few days before the ICC
Cricket World Cup began,
Dubai Sports City (DSC) joined
hands with Orbit Showtime
Network (OSN) to add to the
excitement of the prestigious
event by unveiling what is believed to be the world’s biggest
cricket bat.
The bat is made of mediumdensity fibreboard and is 32
metres in length from the toeend to the top of the handle. It
is also five metres wide.
The bat is on display outside the ICC Academy and will
be there throughout the event
that started on February 14 and
runs until March 28. It was unveiled at DSC in the presence
of DSC President Khalid Al Zarooni and representatives of
OSN, the sponsor of the UAE
cricket squad.
Also present at the event
were members of the UAE
team and children from the
ICC Academy’s Junior Warriors
coaching programme.
“We are proud and delighted
to have come together with
OSN, the sponsor of the UAE
cricket team, to display this
spectacular bat, which we believe to be the biggest in the
world,” said Al Zarooni.
This is only the second time
in its history that the UAE has
qualified for the ICC Cricket
World Cup, with the first being
in 1996. In the lead-up to the international 14-team event, the
squad used the ICC Academy
as the base for its High Performance Programme.
Three of the other teams in
the tournament — Afghanistan, Ireland and Scotland —
have also used the academy
as a base for training camps
and matches.
All the ICC Cricket World Cup
matches are being shown live
at the ICC Academy in DSC.
DSC signs
an agreement
with Emicool
Dubai Sports City (DSC) is set to be
a cooler place thanks to an agreement with Emirates District Cooling (Emicool), a leading district
cooling service provider in the region, to supply chilled water to the
community. The agreement is set
to deliver unmatched benefits to
DSC’s consumers and residents,
as Emicool’s sustainable district
cooling solutions will help reduce
the consumption of power used in
air-conditioning chillers and lead
to a massive reduction in carbon dioxide emissions.
Explaining the benefits of the tieup, Khalid Al Zarooni, President of
DSC, said, “DSC has believed in partnering with the experts to deliver
quality services to its residents.
There are significant environmental
benefits as the technology is ozonefriendly and the water can be recycled for further use in the cooling
process. There is a comfort factor,
as there is a reduction in noise and
vibration associated with conventional air-conditioning units.”
Emicool will use state-of-the-art
industrial chillers to cool bulk quantities of water to 4.5°C, a process
that will be monitored around the
clock to ensure 100 per cent reliability for customers.
Adib Moubadder, Chief Executive
Officer of Emicool, said, “We are
proud to announce this strategic
alliance with Dubai Sports City providing District Cooling solutions and
privileged to sign it.”
SkyDive Dubai Pro Cycling Team
participates in the latest
Great Dubai Pulse Ride — Off Road
The SkyDive Dubai Pro Cycling Team participated in the latest Great Dubai Pulse Ride — Off Road at DSC. Team members of Dubai’s first professional cycling team joined in during the family-friendly event that took place on March 6.
The ride, which caters to a complete spectrum of riders
from beginners to serious cyclists, has been a standard feature on DSC’s events calendar for the past two years. DSC
sponsored the SkyDive Dubai Pro Cycling Team for the second year in a row.
“Dubai Sports City is proud to support the SkyDive Dubai
Pro Cycling Team,” said Khalid Al Zarooni, President of DSC,
who is a keen cyclist.
“The team represents the whole of the UAE, not only over
the four days of the Dubai tour but also in cycling events
around the world, and in order to do that it needs backing,
which we are happy to provide. Our support is a perfect fit
as both the team and [DSC] share the same vision — the
promotion of an active lifestyle.”
Two new
F&B
outlets
Sports Village
at DSC added
two new
restaurants
to its offerings,
Champs Cafe
and Kickers.
27
28
Community news
Football Academy
hosts Japanese
players
The Dubai Sports City Football Academy (DSC FA) recently hosted three junior
players from Japan — Sora
Shinozaki (12), Hiroya Takada (11) and Kento Furusato
(10) — and their coach,
Takeshi Inawaka.
Commenting on the players’ visit to Dubai, Inaki
Beni, Football Zone Manager at DSC FA, said, “Takeshi brought the boys here
to get them exposure and
experience outside their
own country, [which] is a
great thing to do. It is part
of something we are calling
Green Week at the DSC FA,
and it is [the] development
of a concept many of us
first experienced in Spain
that we are looking to implement here.
“The idea is to bring children and their coaches
from academies all over
the world to DSC FA, where
they will work with our
Spanish coaches. But coming to Dubai is about more
than just football; [visitors]
can experience the city too,
so it is a win-win [situation]
for any youngster.”
Newcastle United
uses world-class
football facilities
at Sports Village
Khalid Al Zarooni, President of
DSC, said the recent visit of Newcastle United to use the football
facilities at Sports Village was
a strong confirmation of the
fact that what is on offer at DSC
is top-class.
Newcastle’s visit follows previous stops by fellow English
Premier League sides Swansea
City and West Ham United, as
well as top Russian sides Anzhi
Makhachkala and FC Rostov.
The squad, faced with a tough
winter back home in north England, made full use of the grass
and artificial pitches at Sports
Village, and also trained at Indoor Dome, which has a full-size
Fifa-approved artificial surface.
“It was a pleasure to have
Newcastle United with us, using
all that we have to offer,” said
Al Zarooni.
“The squad’s presence further
illustrated that the facilities we
provide are truly world-class,
and the fact that Newcastle
United is Europe’s fifth leading
club side to come here in only
two years shows [us] we are
getting things absolutely right.
“We are immensely proud of
the work that Michel Salgado,
former Real Madrid and Spain
legend and our Director of Spanish Soccer Schools, and Inaki
Beni, Manager of the Football
Academy, and their teams are
doing and we look forward to
welcoming more leading sides
in the future.”
Maqbul Dudhia, General Manager — Sports Business, said,
“This time of year really is perfect for football and the Newcastle United [members] relished
playing in world-class facilities, with international standard grass and artificial outdoor
pitches at their disposal.
“The Indoor Dome ensures
that we have the means to
[make certain] the game never
stops here at DSC, whatever the
weather. Our football facility is
one we are extremely proud of
and we look forward to it continuing to grow in popularity
over the coming months.
“These are exciting times for
all of us at DSC with the opening of Fit Republik [and] its
top fitness and swimming facilities earlier this month that
completes our Sports Village
— alongside our football and
cricket academies.
“We also [have] a well-established championship golf
course at The Els Club and firstrate golf coaching at the Butch
Harmon School of Golf.”
Pictures: Supplied
Dubai Open at The Els Club
a huge success
The inaugural Dubai Open
at The Els Club, the first professional event at the course
designed by multiple major
winner Ernie Els, was hailed
as a big success by Chris
Brown, General Manager of The
Els Club.
India’s Arjun Atwal secured
a one-shot victory over South
Korea’s Jeung-hun Wang in the
exciting finale to the 2014 Asian
Tour season at the course.
Brown said, “It was a 100 per
cent success. The feedback
from the players regarding the
course condition has been outstanding and I feel satisfaction
and pride. I am proud of the
team, the golf club and Troon
Golf for producing such a spectacular event.
“To have Arjun Atwal, who
has been a very successful PGA
Tour player in the past, as our
[inaugural] Dubai Open champion, players such as Darren
Clarke, some of the best players on the Asian Tour as well
as a few young superstars
coming through from the European Tour — players such
as Tommy Fleetwood and Matt
Fitzpatrick — helped make this
a fantastic event.
“We have always had plans
to do something professional
golf tournament-wise, so to finally have one under our belt
is extremely satisfying for the
whole club and DSC.”
Brown said the success of the
event meant that a second edition in 2015 is very much on the
cards, pending agreement from
all the relevant parties. “There
is an option in there for us to
host this (tournament next
year),” he said.
Mohamed Juma Buamaim,
Vice-Chairman and CEO of golf
in DUBAi, echoed Brown’s assessment of the success of the
tournament. “I am very proud.
They [DSC and The Els Club]
have done a great job and made
Dubai very proud with the services provided.
“All the players were very
happy with the golf course and
the hospitality they received,”
he said.
29
30
Calendar
MARK YOUR DIARY
A list of upcoming events at Dubai Sports City
Compiled by Vanisha Pereira
■ EAFL Desert Bowl: March 13 **
DUBAI INTERNATIONAL
STADIUM
■ Irish Festival -Dubai Celts: March 27 **
■ Michael Bublé concerts: March 12
and 13
■ BeWell Cycle Tour: April 10 **
■ Drake concert: March 14
THE DOME
SPORTS VILLAGE
Golf Exhibition – Dubai Golf Show:
FOOTBALL ZONE
Junior leagues and tournaments
June 4 – 6
■ Dubai Schools Cup: Jan 31 – March 7
THE ELS CLUB
■ DSC Junior League 2: Jan 17 – May 30
■ Sunday: Kids Eat Free
■ DSC Junior League 3: Sep 19 – Dec 12
■ Summer Youth Tournament:
June 19 – 20
Adult leagues and tournaments
DSC Monday 7s (season 3):
March 23 – May 18
■ DSC Wednesday 5s (season 1):
May 13 – June 10
■ Ramadan Tournament: June 22 –
July 13
Coaching programmes
■ Spanish Soccer Schools (term 3):
March 1 – May 15
Pictures: Supplied
■ Easter in Spain: April 15
Performance camp
■ Summer Camp: June 28 – Aug 15
■ Durham Camp: March 18 – 26
ICC ACADEMY
■ Australia Shooting Stars vs
England Development Squad
Women’s Series: April *
■ Monday: Burger Fiesta
■ Half term: March 29 – April 11
Events
■ Tuesday: Quiz Nights
■ Warriors programme: Term starts
from March 6 – May 22 and Sep 20 –
Nov 29
■ Public screening - Cricket World
■ Thursday: BBQ Night
Coaching programmes
■ Cricket Cubs: March 1 – May 23
■ Socatots (term 3): April 5 – June 13
■ ICC Academy Schools programme:
■ May - June Football Programme:
April – June
May 24 – June 18
■ Schools Festival: March 22 from
4 – 5.30pm
Indoor tournaments
■ Challengers Cup: March 16 – April 14
■ Challengers Cup: May 1 – 22
■ Ramadan Indoor Cricket
Tournament: June 19 – July 13
■ Summer Indoor Cricket
Cup: Feb 14 – March 29
■ Friday: Big Easy Brunch, Movie Night
RUGBY ZONE
and Live English Premier League (EPL)
■ EAFL Desert Bowl: March 13 **
■ Irish Festival - Dubai Celts:
■ Saturday: Live EPL Football
March 27 **
Events
■ Piknic Electronic
■ EGF Junior Open: March 14
(Pitch 2): March 28
■ Time Out Teddy Bear Picnic
■ Mother’s Day family dinner with
(Pitch 2): April 4
gift: March 21
■ BeWell Cycle Tour: April 10 **
■ Piknic Electronic (Pitch 2): April 18
Tournament: August 4 – 27
■ Piknic Electronic (Pitch 2): May 9
Outdoor tournament
CENTRE COURT
■ Arabian Cricket League:
■ Friday Night Live: Every Friday from
March 6 – May 8
Feb 22 – March 20
■ Special Masters’ Weekend:
April 9 – 12
■ Special Easter Brunch and Easter
Egg Hunt: April 3 – 5
■ EGF Men’s Open: April 10 – 11
Dates subject to change
ICC Academy www.ICCAcademy.net
www.facebook.com/ICCAcademy
Instagram — @ICCAcademy
www.twitter.com/ICCAcademy
DSC Football Academy
www.facebook.com/DSCFootballAcademy
Instagram — @DSCFootball
www.twitter.com/DSCFootball
www.footballacademydubai.com
Dubai Sports City Events
www.facebook.com/Dubaisportscityevents
www.twitter.com/dscsportsevents
Instagram — @DSCsportsevents
Facebook & Instagram — @FridayNightLiveDSC
www.dsc-events.com
Venue subject to change
DSC Corporate
www.facebook.com/DubaiSportsCity
Instagram — @DubaiSportsCity
www.twitter.com/DxbSportsCity
www.dsc.ae