At the bottom of a swimming pool in Dubai, players in masks, snorkels and fins, dart across the tiles, pushing a puck with short sticks while surfacing every few seconds for air.The sport is underwater hockey, a fast-growing niche activity in the United Arab Emirates that combines swimming, breath-holding and teamwork. Originally developed in Britain in the 1950s, underwater hockey has evolved into an international sport played in several countries. In the UAE, the game has grown from a small group of enthusiasts into a community of nearly 100 players representing a wide range of nationalities, Philip Bedford, Chairman of the Pirates Underwater Hockey Team Dubai, said.“This is one of the most intense, physically demanding sports you can get. Mainly because not only do you train like an Olympic athlete, but you hold your breath while you're doing it,” Bedford, who helped establish the sport in the Emirates in 2017, added. Show more Show less
Dubai underwater hockey players gear up for tournament in bid to grow niche sport
At the bottom of a swimming pool in Dubai, players in masks, snorkels and fins, dart across the tiles, pushing a puck with short sticks while surfacing every few seconds for air.The sport is underwater hockey, a fast-growing niche activity in the United Arab Emirates that combines swimming, breath-holding and teamwork. Originally developed in Britain in the 1950s, underwater hockey has evolved into an international sport played in several countries. In the UAE, the game has grown from a small group of enthusiasts into a community of nearly 100 players representing a wide range of nationalities, Philip Bedford, Chairman of the Pirates Underwater Hockey Team Dubai, said.“This is one of the most intense, physically demanding sports you can get. Mainly because not only do you train like an Olympic athlete, but you hold your breath while you're doing it,” Bedford, who helped establish the sport in the Emirates in 2017, added.
