The International Waterski & Wakeboard Federations (IWWF) Executive Board has approved the bid for the 2019 IWWF World Wakeboard Championships to be held in Abu Dhabi. The event will be organised by the Abu Dhabi International Marine Sports Club (ADIMSC) from 19th to 23rd November 2019. Riders will compete for IWWF World titles in ten age-group categories for both men and women (14 & Under, 18 & Under, 30 & Over, 40 & Over and Open) and the team overall title. The event will offer a USD50,000.00 cash purse to riders competing in the Open Mens & Womens category. Salem Al Remeithi, General Manager of ADIMSC, said: We are delighted to have been chosen to host the 2019 IWWF World Wakeboard Championship. This is perfectly timed to coincide with the opening of the Abu Dhabi Marine Wakeboard Academy at the start of the 2019 event season. Working closely with the IWWF we will create a Centre of Excellence in Abu Dhabi for towed water sports - an Academy where people at all levels of ability will be able to learn new skills, improve their existing skills and further develop their knowledge and understanding of the sport. Being able to watch, and engage, with the worlds top riders will allow the Academy and our students to learn and further develop our knowledge. Jose Antonio Perez Priego, President of IWWF, said: We are very excited to be running our first IWWF World titled event in Abu Dhabi and believe ADIMSC will organise one of the very best events we have experienced. We look forward to a long-term partnership with ADIMSC to develop towed water sports not only in Abu Dhabi but also in the entire UAE. ADIMSC offers a superb venue for spectacular marine sport action between its base on the Breakwater and the Corniche in the UAE capital. Since 1993 the club has provided a strong organisational base for a wide range of marine sports events and activities which have added to Abu Dhabis status as a world-class sporting destination. The club is one of the Middle Easts leading venues for marine sports events at local, national, regional and international level, having hosted rounds of the UIM F1 H20 World Championship, the UIM Class 1 World Powerboat Championship and the XCAT World Series. Across its full range of marine sports activities, ADIMSC places a major emphasis on attracting and nurturing young local talent for the chance to compete on the international stage. With support from the IWWF, the club ran its first grassroots wakeboard events in October 2017 and has not looked back since, staging an average of three domestic events a year and now making the big step up to host the 2019 IWWF World Wakeboard Championships. It plans to launch a wakeboard academy in September this year, in addition to its powerboat, jet skiing and fly board academies. The IWWF will be supporting the club by running coaching and technical officials training for its crew.