Gulf Construction Online - Sprinting ahead on its own feet

Mohamed Hareb Al Otaiba

Soleiman ... best year.

Sprinting ahead on its own feet

01 November 2005

Sportal – which hitherto has been a division handling leisure, sports, fitness and bowling under the parent company MHAO – has been demerged and accorded an independent company status.

Sportal caters to the business of sports and fitness and of bowling through two exclusive profit centres.
Specially designed to meet the turnkey requirements across specific market segments, Sportal delivers value through providing a combination of right products at the right price and a benchmark service tailored to meet its clients’ exacting requirements.
Sportal represents some of the world leaders in sports, fitness and leisure: Cybex (US) for fitness equipment; Bowling (US/Europe) for bowling projects; Brunswick Billiards (US) for pool tables; BBL (UK) for snooker tables; Lausin Vincent (Spain) for Olympic sports equipment; Dinoflex (Canada) for gymnasium flooring; Klafs (Germany) for high-end spa solutions; Norditalia (Italy) for babyfoot tables; C&P (Germany) for lockers; Coleman (Netherlands) for spas; Spectrum Sports (US) for climbing walls; Tomahawk (Germany) for spinning bikes; and EB Fitness (Taiwan) for fluid rowers.
“Fitness awareness has grow rapidly across the globe and the UAE is no exception. Sportal’s sophisticated Cybex range, meets the demanding physical fitness requirements of the levels set for the police department and the army. The range includes various strength equipment and cardio-vascular systems,” says sales manager Waleed Karm.
According to him, the opening up of the real estate sector has spelt good news for most companies dealing in sports equipment in the region and Sportal has benefited enormously as well.
The company, which has represented Brunswick since the 70s, is a pioneer in the field of installing bowling facilities around the region. Brunswick is the key product of the firm and is also its largest contributor to its revenue.
“ Our commendable past achievements include the setting up of Thunderbowl, the UAE’s first fully-automated bowling centre, followed by the 40-lane bowling centre at the Sheikh Zayed Sports City in 1999, which hosted the World Championship for Bowling the same year and is considered the largest arena for bowling enthusiasts in the Middle East. The 36-lane Dubai Bowling Centre – the second largest facility of its kind in the region – is also equipped by Brunswick,” says Hesham Soleiman, division manager, Bowling.
“With installations including around 80 lanes this year alone at varying levels of progress, 2005 has been Sportal Bowling’s best year yet,” he adds.
Innovation and solution-selling is at the core of Sportal’s strategy. To complement its wide product base, Sportal is implementing a number of initiatives that will position it as the foremost value provider in the industry. These initiatives include:
• Kids Corner – a unique programme for children’s health and fitness;
• Moving Kids – Interactive workout options for kids;
• Trazer – Interactive kids area with Cybex;
• Third Age – a fitness concept for senior citizens, thereby discharging a corporate social responsibility;
• Trade-Ins – a lease-to-trade or lease-to-own concept for hotels, thereby generating secondary markets locally and internationally for used and well-maintained equipment;
• Well-O-City – a concept of self-owned and operated/franchised fitness clubs with operation management outsourced from international experts and design execution undertaken by Sportal;
• Workout Point – a corporate gym concept designed on leased or leased-to-own basis; and
• Inclusive Fitness Initiative – a unique fitness concept from Cybex for the physically challenged.