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Toddler wins in Baby Olympics

DUBAI - Ten-month-old Mohammed Hamdan, from India, was the winner of 'Toddlers Walking Contest which was organised by the Dubai Summer Surprises office on Sunday as part of the hugely popular Baby Olympics.

Maryam Arhama, Supervisor of the event, said, "There were more than 20 toddlers between the ages of 8 -10 months who participated in the contest. The idea of the contest is that babies should use the walker to push themselves to the finishing line. The short distance of three metres provided ample room for the children to move with the encouragement of their parents."

Eager parents cajoled their children into walking by drawing their attention with key chains, mobile phones and toys. Ten-month-old Aya Essam from Egypt and eight-month-old Ameena Shaikh from India won second and third place respectively. Khalid Abdul Karim, 10, stood fourth.

The Baby Olympics, organised by the Dubai Summer Surprises office, is drawing crowds of parents and siblings to the mall to watch the little ones compete, said Maryam Arhama, supervisor of the event.

According to Ms Arhama, the competition has been one of the funniest and cutest events held thus far, especially given the lengths parents will go to get their babies moving. The competition is open to all children aged between eight and 12 months, with the top three chosen from two separate qualifying rounds. The chosen six will then compete in the final. Families are using a variety of tactics to get their kids to move along, including tempting them with favourite nursery rhymes or toys, and even mothers stationing themselves strategically at the finish line to egg their tykes on. Every precaution has been taken to ensure the safety and comfort of the little ones, including lining the track with special material that does not irritate the baby's skin. The competition area has also been thoroughly insulated so that even those who stray from the track do not get hurt. All furnishings have been provided by 'Shapes and Colours', with prizes from Mothercare, Baby Shop and the Bear Factory.

The DSS Baby Olympics will continue in the Food Court Area of Al Ghurair City today. Other contests for those aged six months to three years include walking, baby dress-up and tricycle-racing. Kids between 12-18 months can take part in the Toddlers Walking Contest on August 2, and those aged 3 years and up will be eligible to participate in the Dress Up Baby Contest on August 3. The Tricycle Race Contest on August 4 will also involve three-year-olds.

Valuable prizes are up for grabs, including gift vouchers, gift hampers packed with baby goodies. The First Prize is Dh1500 worth of Gift Vouchers, followed by Dh1000 for the second place and Dh500 for the third. The prizes have been sponsored by Mother Care, Baby Shop and Bear Factory.