Vladimir Burdun: turning sporting dreams into reality in the UAE

DUBAI: Few individuals have experienced — or contributed to — the growth of Dubai’s sporting industry in recent decades quite like Vladimir Burdun.

The 52-year-old Serb moved to the UAE in 1995, a time when the Dubai Rugby Sevens was still played on sand, the Dubai Tennis Championships was two years old, and the first Dubai World Cup was still a year away.

Today he is the founder and CEO of Emirates Sports, which oversees a sports promotion company and hotel, as well as being president of the World Strongman Federation. Burdun, a karate competitor in his youth, is steeped in combat sports and is also director of development at the Serbian Boxing Federation.