This year’s Sinbad Classic International Game Fishing Association (IGFA) sport fishing tournament — which took place from February 19 to 21, 2009, in Muscat, saw Xtreme Derbas collect four out of eight awards, in an exciting three-day competition, which concluded yesterday with a closing ceremony presided over by the guest of honour, Dr Hamed bin Said al Oufi, Under-Secretary at the Ministry of Fisheries, at Marina Bandar al Rowdha. This tournament is the fifth in the series of Arabia’s premier fishing tournament.? ?  In total, 13 teams took part in this year’s tournament with each team comprising of four anglers. Besides Omanis, there were competing anglers from Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, USA, England, Canada, Kuwait and the UAE.

The Xtreme Derbas Fishing Team is based in Dubai, captained by Kareem Derbas. The team is a mix of Palestinian, Lebanese and Syrian nationals who beat their competition and took 1st place. Besides the many gifts won, including an all paid trip to Cape Town for a week of fishing, the team is now eligible to compete in the Final World Fishing Championship in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico in 2010.

The team had taken pledges from friends and family prior to the competition, and the winning means Xtreme Derbas have raised over AED 100,000 which is to be donated to the children of Gaza.