emirates7 - The 18th edition of the Fazza Freediving Championship "Al Hayari" wrapped up on Sunday at Deep Dive Dubai, the world’s deepest swimming pool. This year’s event saw a record 84 athletes from 21 countries, and was organized by the Fazza Championships Department under the Hamdan Bin Mohammed Heritage Centre.

In the professional category, Serbian champion Branko Petrovic successfully defended his title by holding his breath underwater for an impressive 8:41 minutes. He was followed by Poland’s Mateusz Malina in second place with 8:18 minutes, and Croatia’s Goran Kolak in third with 8:15 minutes.

In the UAE nationals and GCC participants category, Oman’s Ibrahim Salem Al Sulaitni claimed first place with a time of 7:21 minutes, followed by Kuwait’s Hassan Ali Al Sharrah in second with 6:32 minutes, and the UAE’s Abdullah Salem Al Mansouri in third with 6:17 minutes.

The junior category for UAE and GCC nationals was dominated by young Emiratis, with Mansour Abdullah Al Yaaroubi finishing first at 2:44 minutes, Ali Mohammed Al Marzouqi in second at 2:19 minutes, and Ahmed Mohammed Al Marzouqi securing third place at 1:54 minutes.

Abdullah Hamdan bin Dalmook, CEO of the Hamdan Bin Mohammed Heritage Centre, announced that next year’s championship would feature a dedicated heat for Emirati nationals.

Rashed Hareb Al Khasouni, Director of the Fazza Championships Department, highlighted the championship’s global prominence, emphasizing the significant position it has achieved in the world of traditional sports.