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ABU DHABI: The 15th edition of the ADNOC Yas in Schools National Finals kicked off at Yas Marina Circuit, featuring a record-breaking number of participants from across the country. This year, 1,400 students representing 113 schools and 310 teams are competing in a series of STEM-focused competitions that run until June 22.

The event, a flagship initiative in the UAE’s youth and education landscape, aims to foster skills in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics through hands-on projects and competitive challenges. The finals include contests in F1 in Schools, Formula Ethara, and 4x4 in Schools, which emphasize engineering, design, sustainability, and teamwork.

Throughout the week, students will demonstrate their abilities by engineering miniature race cars, developing branding and sponsorship strategies, and presenting their projects to judges. The winners of the F1 in Schools category will represent the UAE at the global finals later this year.

Ali Al-Beshr, general manager of Yas Marina Circuit, said: “This year’s finals showcase the ambition, creativity, and skill that define the ADNOC Yas in Schools program. We are proud to support ADNOC’s commitment to youth empowerment, sustainability, and STEM development, and to watch the UAE’s next generation rise to the challenge.”

The competition aligns with national priorities to nurture a knowledge-based economy and promote sustainable innovation. Notably, many participating teams include students from underrepresented groups, with sustainability integrated into their engineering designs and presentations.

Since its inception, the program has contributed over 1 million hours of student engagement across more than 1,100 schools nationwide. The event supports ADNOC’s corporate social responsibility efforts and aligns with the UAE’s broader goals in education, sustainability, and economic development.

The winners will be announced during an online awards ceremony scheduled for June 24.

LEEDS: England chose to bowl first against India in the test series opener at Headingley on Friday.
Both teams would have picked to field first. The last six test winners in Leeds bowled first.
The pitch has a green tinge and the weather is sunny and humid, the temperature topping out at 29 degrees on days one and two.
India, under new skipper Shubman Gill, has chosen to debut top-order batter Sai Sudharsan, give middle-order bat Karun Nair his first test in eight years. Shardul Thakur, who hasn’t played a test since December 2023, was preferred to Nitish Kumar Reddy as the fast bowling allrounder and Prasidh Krishna headed off uncapped Arshdeep Singh as the third seamer.
England named its team on Thursday, choosing at No. 3 in the batting order vice captain Ollie Pope over Jacob Bethell.
Lineups:
England: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (captain), Jamie Smith, Chris Woakes, Bryson Carse, Josh Tongue, Shoaib Bashir.
India: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Lokesh Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (captain), Rishabh Pant, Karun Nair, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Prasidh Krishna, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj.