CrossFit Erada is all set to host its second showdown where 60 athletes will compete
By Anand Holla
With Qatar National Day celebrations reaching a crescendo all through the country, CrossFit Erada, a CrossFit affiliate founded by Qatari nationals, is perhaps paying its tribute to the occasion in the healthiest way possible.
Reasserting its commitment to the local community, CrossFit Erada is organising the second edition of Saturday Night Showdown, a fitness competition that focuses on the fitness, endurance and concentration of the player. Only last month, on the multi-purpose courts of The Sheraton Doha, with the support of the Ministry of Youth and Sports, the first Saturday Night Showdown saw 10 Qatari athletes, including the youngest being of age 16, participate as a big, cheery crowd kept them pumped up through the event.
Following its huge success, the Saturday Night Showdown now returns this Saturday at 5:30pm on the multi-purpose courts of The Sheraton Doha Resort and Convention Hotel. Under the umbrella of Qatar Sports for All Federation, the second showdown is bringing together 60 athletes – male and female – with every participant set to perform customised consecutive exercises and weightlifting.
Each player will have a dedicated judge who will award points on their performance. The players are divided into two sections: scaled for beginners and RX for more experienced athletes. The top three finishers in each section will win cash prizes from Sports Corner and gift vouchers from Hundler Qatar. With the support of the ministry of Youth and Sports, Saturday Night Showdown is presented by Sports Corner and sponsored by Hundlur, Again Faster; Xendurance Supplements and Quest Nutrition.
Abdulla al-Matwi, one of the founders of CrossFit Erada, said: “Following the huge success of the first edition, we are now in the process of setting up the stage for the second edition. We are receiving great feedback and big number of applicants from Qatar and many neighbouring countries including Kuwait, UAE, Bahrain and others.”
Al-Matwi is happy to present this show on the occasion of Qatar National Day. “We call all our followers, sport fans, and Crossfit lovers to come attend the show and be part of the game. The Saturday Night Showdown is becoming the leading sporting event of its kind staged not just in Qatar, but anywhere in the region. This event is fully organised and presented by Qatari nationals who are keen to promote sports and fitness in their community motivated by their passion and love to this game,” al-Matwi added.
The Saturday Night Showdown is free and open to all audiences. CrossFit raises the physical and mental abilities of the players, motivate them to challenge themselves, unleash their potential and push the limits of their abilities. It is an integration of soul, mind and body that creates the required balance of skills to accomplish great results.
“It is not just a physical show, but also a drive for competition and challenge. It is a good platform to promote sports, healthy lifestyle and self-confidence,” said al-Matwi. In the first showdown last month, the top three winners in male RX were Lance Castle, Mikko Aronpaa, and Justin Ahrens, and in male Scaled were Francesco Cerri, Hany Bassiouny, and Alessio Galli. In the female RX section, Emilia Laeppanen won the first place while Steph Chung and Nuha Almarri came in the second and third places, respectively. In the female Scaled section, the top three finishers were Aeolyn Gwynne, Kym Ali, and Julie le Luyer.
CrossFit Erada was founded in January 2015 and has succeeded in a short time to attract many players and promote the sport among the youth.
Scenes from the first showdown organised by CrossFit Erada.
