Category: Sports

Figured I’d post about this gym (Al Hamra Thermae) since I just passed by to check it out awhile ago. It’s not the nicest looking mens gym, but they’re located on the 74th floor of Al Hamra Tower and they’ve got a pretty good offer at the moment. They’ve brought down their price to KD700 year plus will give you a month free which brings the price down to around KD50 a month.

The nicest thing about the gym though is twice a week they swap with the womens gym on the 3rd floor and you get access to use the outdoor running track. If you’re interested you could call them up on 97997797.

Not sure if the womens gym have a similar offer, I tried calling them up but no one picked up (60660060).

You can now shop for Adidas products on the Adidas Kuwait website. Not sure how new this is but I just spotted an ad for it yesterday on Twitter. Shipping is a flat charge of KD2 and you can pay either by credit card, paypal or cash on delivery. Here is the [Link]

I know there are a lot of people interested in Muay Thai training in Kuwait so figured I’d post about a new place that opened up that offers it. A new gym opened up in Shuwaikh called Empower 31 and one of the services they offer is Muay Thai training. They’ve brought in a world class trainer (Joesoef Henri) who has worked with top fighters all over the world including:

Remy bonjasky – Former K-1 Champion, One of the best kick boxers in the world.
Raphael Assuncao – UFC #3 Ranked Bantamweight
Andy Souwer – Dutch welterweight. Currently a Glory top contender. He is two time K-1 World MAX champion as well as a four time shoot boxing world tournament champion.
Dhiego Lima – #6 ranked welterweight in the world – currently in the UFC

The trainer is from Holland so he’s bringing the Dutch style of Kickboxing to Kuwait which is something new according to the owner (All of the K-1 finalists are usually Dutch or have a Dutch style background).

So if you’re interested in Muay Thai, Empower 31 is offering beginner and intermediate/ Advanced Muay Thai classes. The cost is KD85/month, KD220/3 months, KD385/6 months or KD620/year. This cost gives you access to their whole facility, not just Muay Thai, so you’ll have access to “strength and conditioning coaches who are all highly educated and have past experience within professional sports teams as their strength and conditioning coaches”. For more information including contact details, check out their instagram account @empower31

Does anyone know where expats can get archery lessons in Kuwait? I contacted the Kuwait Archery National Team on Facebook asking about lessons and they told me the Kuwait Shooting Federation offers lessons but it’s only for Kuwaitis.

360 Mall have released new renderings as well as a video showcasing their upcoming mall expansion which will include a tennis complex, a hotel and additional shopping. The tennis complex will have a combined stadium seating for over 7,600 people across two main arenas, each with the capacity to hold 4,000 and 1,600 people respectively, eight indoor courts with over 500 seats and eight outdoor courts with 1,500 seats. The tennis arena will be called “The Sheikh Jaber Al Abdullah Al Jaber Al Sabah International Tennis Complex” and is expected to become one of the world’s best tennis facilities.

In summary, we should basically all start learning tennis so we could take advantage of the facilities once they open up.

On a side note I’ve managed to confirm that Bloomingdale’s will be opening up where the exhibition hall at 360 Mall is located right now. What I wasn’t aware of was that the exhibition hall is actually three floors tall but because they hadn’t installed the escalators yet, it never showed. Regarding the 5-star hotel thats opening up in the new expansion, all the renderings are pointing towards Hyatt making a comeback to Kuwait. I’m still trying to get confirmation on this but I haven’t been able to as of now. My contact just confirmed the hotel that will be opening is Grand Hyatt and that an official announcement will be made shortly.

For the second time in five years, Kuwait was suspended by the IOC for political interference on Tuesday, leaving the Gulf country’s athletes in limbo for next year’s Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. [Source]

This sucks a lot more than being suspended by FIFA since unlike our football team, we actually can win at the Olympics.

Pictured above is Kuwaiti bronze medallist Fehaid Aldeehani during the medal ceremony for the Men’s Trap Shooting Final at the London 2012 Olympics.

120 of the best athletes from around the world are coming to Kuwait this weekend to compete in Battle of the East, the most recognized and respected crossfit event in the Middle East. The event it taking place at Marina Crescent this Friday and Saturday and if you’re interested in watching the event you need to purchase a ticket. For more information on the event and tickets click [Here]

A good friend of mine is hosting a Zumba event early next week. She’s bringing the international recording artist and world renowned Zumba instructor Liana Veda to Kuwait for this event. If you’re interested in taking part, it’s for women only and you can get more details [Here]

Update: Just remembered I previously posted her impromptu dance in Japan with a bunch of strangers [Here]

Earlier this year Tamdeen announced they were taking over development of the stalled tennis project next to 360 Mall and that they would be completing it as part of their “massive expansion” of 360 Mall. Renderings of the extension are finally available online along with a bit more information on the courts including that it will have a 4,000 seat indoor arena, a 1,500 seat outdoor arena, 6 indoor tennis courts, 8 outdoor tennis courts, and supporting clubhouse with tennis school. Check out more photos and details [Here]

Thanks lovelykuwait

Kuwait Baseball Softball & Challenger League (KBSCL) previously known as Kuwait Little Leagues (KLL) won the Best Leisure Activity in Kuwait for children a few months back on the blog. They’re a non-profit organization that provides their players with 6 months of physical activity and competition twice a week for a minimal fee which includes season fees, jersey, hat and year end award.

Registration for 2015-2016 season is now open for boys and girls ages 4 to 17. They have their regular baseball divisions, girls’ softball and our challenger division for players with physical and/or developmental disabilities.

Their baseball fields are located off the 6th Ring Road and legit. If you’re interested to find out more or to register for their 2015-2016 season then click [Here]

For the past year on my way to The Avenues I’ve been passing this large rust colored warehouse located on the main road. I didn’t know what the building housed, I knew it had something to do with sports because of the large neons covering the building but I couldn’t tell what was inside since the building looked like it was still under construction. Then last week I found out the place was an indoor football arena and that they had actually been open for a few months now but still look like they’re under construction because of the empty shops facing the main road. So I passed by to check it out.

The large building houses three indoor football fields and has air conditioning which means no matter how hot or cold it is outside, you could play football anytime of the year. MAS also have showers and locker rooms in case you want to change before heading out which is something I haven’t seen at other football fields. Price wise they’re much more expensive than the outdoor fields, an hour of indoor football is going to cost you KD45. If you’re interested you can book a field by calling 66148079 or 22230096. They’re open from 9AM to 10PM and here is their location on [Google Maps

Update: The official opening is next month

Since I joined Alive Yoga a month and a half ago I’ve been going practically daily which turns out my 2 year old Adidas yoga mat just couldn’t handle. All the sweat along with the fact I leave my mat in the car ended up warping my mat and it just started looking very ghetto. Not that I have an issue with a ghetto looking yoga mat but because it was warped it wouldn’t stay flat on the floor anymore and move around. So I started looking for a new yoga mat. Alive Yoga sell the Manduka PRO mats which feel ridiculously good but are also heavy and large so it wouldn’t fit into my yoga bag. The other model they sell is the Manduka LiveON which is what I was considering getting until I read reviews about how the mats warped if left in the car.

Finally after a bit of research I ended up finding a phone number of what I’m now calling my “Yoga Mat Dealer”. The dealer sells Jade Harmony yoga mats (68″/black) which are probably one of the most popular yoga mats. On Amazon for example over 1,150 people have reviewed it and have given it an average rating of 4.5 out of 5. I ended up picking up the mat and I’m loving it so far which is why I wanted to share the dealers number. If you’re looking for a good yoga mat then this is a great locally available option. The mats cost KD34 which is slightly cheaper than if you ordered it from Amazon and had it shipped to Kuwait. If you’re interested send a whatsapp to 99683129.

Update: You can now find Jade Harmony mats at Alive Yoga. They’re selling it for KD27.

The Kuwait Harps will be starting the new season of Gaelic Football on September 4th and are looking for new faces to join the club. Gaelic Football is a form of football derived from the Irish ball games. There are some major differences between regular football and Gaelic football like the fact Gaelic football is played with 15 players aside and you can also hold the ball with your hands.

The Kuwait Harps hold weekly training sessions for both men and women on Fridays and Wednesdays at the American International School. They compete primarily in tournaments based in the Gulf region and new players are always welcome and immediately feel at home within the club. The majority of the current squad were actually new to Gaelic Games when they first arrived in Kuwait. While many clubs in the Gulf region can depend on a strong pool of Irish players, this is not the case in Kuwait. While a core of the club may be Irish, it relies heavily on the support of players from the international expat community. Kuwait Harps Players have come from Ireland, Scotland, England, Wales, Canada, USA, Australia and even Sudan to name but a few countries. So if you’re interested in joining the club, here are some details:

When: Every Friday (Women: 10AM to 12PM / Men: 12PM to 2PM)
Where: American International School [Map]

For more information email [email protected] or call Harmony on 51055225

For those of you who watch the UFC you’ll be interested to know that the PRIDE legend and UFC fighter Wanderlei Silva will be in Kuwait next month for a seminar. Although he’s currently serving a lifetime ban from the sport for refusing to submit to a drug test, he’s still a legend and I’d be excited to see him here. Come to think of it, fight fans in Kuwait are pretty lucky since we’ve gotten a good share of UFC legends come to Kuwait so far including Anderson Silva and Royce Gracie. For more info on the Wanderlei event, click [Here]

Update: The seminar cost is KD60 for 2 days and its KD25 for a photo/autograph. Also it seems the lifetime ban was overturned in May.

I didn’t even know you could drift a tank! Kuwait also took part in last years Tank Biathlon which has to be the coolest and most insane sporting event ever. [Link]

If you want to see the full video leading up to the incident click [Here]

Update: According to Al Watan Newspaper, Kuwait is denying it was their team that flipped the tank [Link]