German athletes top Jordan Ayla Cable Wakeboard World Cup event in Aqaba

AMMAN — German champion Ariano Blanik took first place while his countrywoman Julia Rick took first place at the 14th International Waterski and Wakeboard Federation’s (IWWF) Jordan Ayla Cable Wakeboard World Cup 2018 in Aqaba on Saturday.

Blanik was followed by German rider Dominik Gohrs in second place and Louis Mistaudy from France. In the women’s category, Rick was followed by Australian Courtney Angus in second place and Maxine Sapulette from Netherland.

Competitions during the championship reached their peak during the semifinals and finals as participants brought forth some stellar displays of athletic ability, offering wakeboarding enthusiasts a singular experience that is worthy of its global status. Throughout the tournament, Ayla’s teams continued to provide support to participating delegations, maintaining the services at its world-class facilities under the supervision of the IWWF.

IWWF had selected Ayla to host the global championship due to its proven track record in hosting world-class sporting events, its expansive sports and leisure facilities, and the overall readiness of its premises and staff to host such a large-scale event.

The championship is another major achievement in Aqaba’s longstanding track record, as the city has demonstrated its capacity to host large-scale events, thus highlighting its status as a premier global destination for tourism and investment. 

The Secretary General of the Jordan Olympic Committee (JOC) Nasser Majali said: “This championship demonstrates Jordan’s professional capacity to host large-scale sporting events as well as the level of trust that international sports unions have in this ability. As the Jordan Olympic Committee, we truly appreciate the remarkable work being done by Ayla in representing Jordan by hosting such major events and targeting various sports and maintaining strict standards of professionalism.”

The managing director of Ayla, Sahl Dudin, highlighted the tremendous success of the event, lauding the efforts of all the organising committees and the consistent follow-up by the representatives of the IWWF. He also underscored Ayla’s great pride at hosting such a championship, which he noted will reinforce Aqaba’s position on the global sports map. 

Dudin also underscored the key role played by the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority for providing essential support to Ayla during the organisation of the event, in addition to emphasising the work done by other partners such as Central Trade and Auto, Turkish Airlines, the Jordan Tourism Board, Zain, Mövenpick Hotels and Resorts, and Jordan Express Tourist Transportation.

Dudin also commended the efforts of the security agencies and the Civil Defence Directorate toward facilitating the various logistics required for hosting such an event, which also contributed to its level of success.

HRH Prince Feisal, JOC president, presented the champions with their trophies. The event was also attended by the president and senior members from the IWWF, in addition to several officials from Aqaba.