UAE skateboarders compete at BRICS Skate Cup in Ryazan

Three UAE skateboarders joined the 2026 BRICS Skate Cup in Ryazan, Russia, where athletes from 27 countries competed across skateboarding, inline skating and scootering. The event highlighted the UAE’s growing skate scene and the sport’s expanding international profile.

Why it matters: - The BRICS Skate Cup gave UAE skateboarders a high-profile international stage against athletes from across BRICS countries and beyond. - The event reflected skateboarding’s growing global status as an Olympic sport and a pathway for athletes to build skills, networks and careers. - UAE riders said the competition could help expand visibility for the country’s skate scene and strengthen its place in the wider skateboarding community.

What happened: - Three skateboarders from the UAE — Karim Nassar, Abdulaziz Talal and Marwan Alzarooni — competed in the skateboarding events at the 2026 BRICS Skate Cup. - The festival ran in Ryazan from Aug. 27 to 30. - The event drew 987 male and female athletes from 27 countries. - Participants came from all BRICS member states, the UAE, Argentina, Bahrain, Kenya, Madagascar, Oman, Türkiye, Yemen and other countries. - The programme included skateboarding, inline skating and scootering. - Matias Dell Olio of Argentina, a Paris 2024 Olympic finalist and 2024 world championship silver medallist, won the gold medal.

The details: - Nassar said the event gave skaters from the region access to a much wider international community. - Nassar said skateboarding has always been about exchange among different styles, cultures and generations. - Nassar said UAE riders gained visibility, relationships and opportunities beyond the competition itself. - Nassar said skateboarding in the UAE has developed considerably over the years. - Nassar said the local community was once smaller, with fewer spaces, resources and opportunities. - Nassar said the UAE now has a new generation of skaters, better infrastructure, greater international attention and a stronger understanding of skateboarding as both a sport and a culture. - Nassar said the UAE could become a regional hub for skateboarding. - Nassar said the next step is to create more opportunities for local skaters to compete internationally, build sustainable careers and form meaningful connections with the global skate community. - Nassar said the competition reminded him why he has stayed connected to skateboarding. - Nassar said the most lasting part of the event was the people, conversations and friendships formed with skaters from around the world. - Nassar said participation at this stage of his career is also about creating greater visibility, access and possibilities for the next generation in the UAE and the wider region. - Talal said festivals such as the BRICS Skate Cup help bridge the gap between skateboarders raised in street culture and people with no connection to it. - Talal said the event reconnects participants with skateboarding’s street roots. - Talal said skateboarding can also lead to careers as photographers, producers and creative directors. - Talal said the festival is especially important for younger skaters. - Talal said skateboarders are driven by the desire to win and keep working even when progress on one trick amounts to just 1% in a year.

Between the lines: - The UAE’s presence in Ryazan shows how skateboarding is moving from a niche scene into a more formal international sporting and cultural exchange. - The comments from Nassar and Talal point to a broader shift: competition is only part of the value, with community, exposure and career development also shaping the sport. - Local leaders in Ryazan also used the festival to promote street sports as a tool for youth engagement and regional visibility. - Pavel Malkov, governor of the Ryazan Region, said the festival could inspire young people to new achievements and that the region plans to host another international street sports event next year. - Ilya Vdovin, president of Skate Russia, said the 2026 festival brought together skateboarders, inline skaters and scooter riders from around the world. - Vdovin said twice as many athletes participated as organizers had planned. - Vdovin said online response reached thousands of posts and millions of impressions. - Vdovin said visiting athletes would return home with their own account of what Russia was really like. - Dell Olio described the BRICS Skate Cup as one of the best contests in the world.

What's next: - The Ryazan region plans to host another international street sports event next year. - UAE skateboarders are expected to keep seeking international competitions that can support development, visibility and long-term career opportunities. - The growing profile of skateboarding may create more openings for regional athletes as the sport continues to gain global recognition. - For the UAE skate scene, the next challenge is turning international appearances into sustained pathways for training, competition and community growth.