Meet Sky Cuizon, Dubai’s ultimate sporty kiddo

From Kung Fu on stage at Coca-Cola Arena to galloping on horseback to qualifying for the Mental Math World Cup… meet Sky, the ultimate sporty kiddo in Dubai. SUPPLIED

Not every 8-year-old can say they’ve performed Kung Fu at Coca-Cola Arena, competed in chess tournaments, galloped on horseback, and qualified for an international math competition—but then again, not every 8-year-old is Zkyhe Sapphire Cuizon. Her friends call her Sky, and she’s got a personality as bright as her name. Born and raised in Dubai, Sky is proud to call the UAE her home. “I like the UAE because it’s safe to walk alone at night and it’s very clean. Like when you put something on the table, like your wallet or your phone, no one will take it! I mean, no one!” she says with wide-eyed excitement. Sky calls herself a “sporty kiddo”—and for good reason. She’s been chasing her passions since she was little. At 4 years old, she learned chess with her dad and now competes in both the Philippines and Dubai. At 6, she kicked off her martial arts journey with taekwondo and Muay Thai before moving into Shaolin Kung Fu. In January 2024, she wowed a crowd of 10,000 people at the Chinese New Year Gala in Coca-Cola Arena with her Kung Fu performance. At 8, she saddled up for formal horse-riding lessons. This summer, she added badminton and swimming to her growing list of sports. But Sky isn’t just about action. She’s also a whiz with numbers. After joining a math competition in 2024, she earned her spot in the Mental Math World Cup 2025 this August. “I qualified in the top 100 and I've just made it to the grand finals,” she beams proudly. When she’s not busy training or competing, Sky enjoys trips to the mall with her family. Sometimes, she and her brother head to Zara for a little “shopping spree.” If a friend from another country visited, she knows exactly where to take them: the Mohammed bin Rashid Library. “It’s the biggest library I’ve seen so far and it has seven floors full of books! It’s so big!” Her love for learning shows in her favorite school subjects, too. “I love English because it’s easy, Math because it’s challenging, and Science because I can research interesting facts,” she explains. And when it comes to food? This Dubai-born Filipino girl has her go-to favorites. “I love sushi and ramen but my favorite restaurant here in the UAE is in Radisson Blu. The food is just yummy.” Sky’s future is just as exciting as her present. “I want to be a business woman when I grow up because I could have my own time and I could do whatever I want because I don’t have a boss and I’m the boss!” she says with a confident smile. Her parents own Dubai-based jewellery and watch retailer UAE Kabayan Souq. Smart, sporty, and full of dreams—Sky is definitely a kid to watch. PIA/Expat Media In her words: I was born in the UAE and have been living here since I was born. Except when I take vacations to the Philippines then I got stuck for almost two years since there was a pandemic. So when it was safe, I came back to Dubai with my family. When I was six years old, I started martial arts. First, I did taekwondo, then Muay Thai, and then I moved to Shaolin Kung Fu until now. I performed at the Coca-Cola Arena in front of 10,000 audience. I like the UAE because it’s safe to walk alone at night and it’s very clean. Like when you put something on the table, like your wallet or your phone, no one will take it! I mean, no one! I don’t have a nickname, but most of my friends just call me Sky. I love going to the mall with my family. Sometimes my brother and I we go to the mall and we usually go to Zara and do a shopping spree! My family and I also love eating out. I love sushi and ramen but my favorite restaurant here in the UAE is in Radisson Blu. The food is just yummy. If a friend from another country visited me, I would bring them to Mohammed bin Rashid Library. It’s the biggest library I’ve seen so far and it has seven floors full of books! It’s so big! And I would also bring them to the beaches and Ras Al Khaimah because they’ll love the sunsets. When I was little, I went to Chinese school for almost two years then when I returned to Dubai, I enrolled in an international school. This year, I am enrolling in a British school in Dubai. I love English because it’s easy and I love Math because it’s challenging for me. I love Science because I can research interesting facts. When I was four years old, my dad taught me how to play chess. I’m already competing in the Philippines and in Dubai. Sometimes in school and in open tournaments. And also, I like horseriding because it’s fun. I have my formal training and galloping is quite fun. This summer, I’m doing badminton and swimming. I really love sports. I’m really a sporty kiddo! One fun fact about me is that I’m participating in different world math competitions. Actually, since last year. I qualified in the top 100 to compete for Mental Math World Cup 2025 this August and I have just made it to the grand finals! After school on weekends, I usually do some sports and sometimes I listen to music. I play chess and I won one medal in school and outside of school for playing chess. And I performed Shaolin Kung Fu at Coca-Cola Arena and I got a certificate for it. I want to be a business woman when I grow up because I could have my own time and I could do whatever I want because I don’t have a boss and I’m the boss!

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