Hundreds of public sector workers going for glory in the second annual Gov Games had a million reasons to be pleased to see the Crown Prince of Dubai in attendance. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, who launched the fitness initiative last year, has boosted the total prize fund from Dh2 million to Dh3 million after the success of the opening day of competition at Kite Beach. Sheikh Hamdan cheered on the 62 female teams taking part in the heats of the Games on Wednesday. The increased prize pool will be shared between the runners-up and third-placed teams in the men and women's competitions. The runners-up in each category will receive a prize of Dh300,000, while third-place finishers will each receive Dh200,000 per team. The respective men’s and women’s Gov Games champions will each secure a top prize of Dh1 million. Sheikh Hamdan said the cash boost was a well-deserved reward for the efforts of all taking part. The second and third days of Gov Games will see the 106 men’s teams take to the obstacle course with six teams progressing to the final on Saturday evening. Aisha Meran, assistant to the secretary general of the Strategic Department and Governance Sector of the Executive Council of Dubai, praised Sheikh Hamdan's gesture. “The teamwork spirit of Gov Games came alive today and we thank Sheikh Hamdan for his wonderful gesture in extending the prize fund. This gesture will further incentivise the women’s and men’s teams to push even harder.”
