Photo by Clare Hennig/The Gazelle

Starting this semester, The Gazelle will be regularly covering NYU Abu Dhabi sports teams and their weekly scores. The Falcons teams competing this semester are men’s and women’s football, men’s and women’s basketball, cricket, badminton, table tennis and volleyball.

Amid changes in the university’s budget, the focus of the Athletics Department has shifted to more popular team sports instead of informal athletic groups, which attract fewer students. There are eight NYUAD teams that will be competing in intercollegiate matches and in the Abu Dhabi Inter-University Sports League this coming season.

The goal of this new model of funding, explained Associate Director of Athletics Wayne Young, is to provide athletic opportunities to as many students as possible. He mentioned that there is a possibility for current club sports to become intercollegiate teams, given sufficient student interest and the opportunity to compete against other university teams.

Early morning practices on the football pitches and basketball courts are already underway, despite the heat, and matches will begin in mid-October. The majority of the games will be on home courts and pitches on Tuesday or Wednesday nights.

Lindsay Smith, sports communication coordinator, expressed hopes that there will be more university-wide support of the teams and attendance at matches this semester.

“We want to encourage the spectator aspect,” said Smith. “We are providing events that are happening here on campus and we want you guys to come to them.”

She pointed to the wins of Falcons teams in the past as an indication of success to come. Last season, the men’s basketball team were the champions of the ADISL league for the third time in a row.

The women’s badminton team also came in first place in the league, and the men’s football team made it to the semi-finals of the championship for the first time.

“Everything is moving in the direction [of success],” said Smith. “I think having our own home fields is a big advantage for us now, and the teams are training three to four times a week.”

“And we have bigger numbers of people that are coming out, which is really helpful,” she added. “I think this is going to be a really good year.”