The Abu Dhabi Schools Sports Cup is an annual school sports competition, offering all students the chance to represent their school communities to showcase their talent in the spirit of friendly competition. Building a culture of wellbeing centered on physical activity and personal growth, the event is a celebration of teamwork and sportsmanship to inspire a generation of students capable of achieving their full potential.

In the second edition, schools will be participating in Futsal for U9s and U11s, and Football for U13s, U15s, U17s, and U19s. The objective is to expand the tournament in the future to include more sporting disciplines.

The 2023 edition of the ADEK Sports Cup will include male and female categories and be limited to the following age groups:
– Under 9 (students born after 1 September 2013)
– Under 11 (students born after 1 September 2011)
– Under 13 (students born after 1 September 2009)
– Under 15 (students born after 1 September 2007)
– Under 17 (students born after 1 September 2005)
– Under 19 (students born after 1 September 2003)

Schools can enter a maximum of one team for each age and gender category. More than 800 teams from over 200 public, private and Charter Schools are taking part in the Abu Dhabi Schools Sports Cup 2023.

Preliminary rounds are taking place in January and February 2023. These games will take place in a group-by-group round-robin format across multiple school venues in Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and Al Dhafra. Group winners will qualify for the Play-off Weekend at Abu Dhabi Cricket and Sports Hub on 25-26 February (Football) and Repton Abu Dhabi on 11-12 March (Futsal).

For all age and gender categories, with the exception of the U15 category, the finals will take place during the Play-off Weekend at Abu Dhabi Cricket and Sports Hub on 25-26 February 2023. For U15 girls and U15 boys, the ADEK Sports Cup Final will take place at the Mohammed Bin Zayed Stadium on Saturday 18, which will also form the Grand Finale of the Abu Dhabi Schools Sports Cup 2023 edition. All participating teams will be invited to the Stadium Final to see the winners crowned and celebrate the tournament as a whole.

Please visit the match schedule on the competition microsite to view the full fixture list with timings.

Yes, students registered for and participating in the Abu Dhabi Schools Sports Cup can practice for the competition on school grounds following the risk mitigation controls shared by ADEK with school principals.

Withdrawals had to be communicated at least one week before the tournament takes place. Sanctions that restrict participation at future events may be applied for withdrawals after this date or in case of no show to a scheduled match.

It is not advised that parents and friends attend the preliminary qualifiers at school venues as school security may not allow spectators on site. For weekend tournaments spectators are very welcome to attend. At the Play-off Weekend all families and larger school communities are welcome to support their teams and enjoy an action-packed, family friendly atmosphere filled with exciting activities and entertainment.

There are no Covid-19 protocols to abide by at the time of publishing this.

Every school that has registered for the Abu Dhabi Schools Sports Cup 2023 will be added to the coaches mailing list as well as a WhatsApp communication group. Regular communication updates will be provided by tournament organizers to guide and support coaches through the entire process from registration to tournament. Coaches can contact the Abu Dhabi Schools Sports Cup team via email if and when required.