As the hugely successful third season of Dubai Sports Council (DSC) Football Academies Championship draws towards a close, Ahmed Salem Al Mahri, Manager of DSC’s Department of Academies, has hailed the impact of the tournament on the domestic football scene
DUBAI (Pakistan Point News - 25th February, 2019) As the hugely successful third season of Dubai Sports Council (DSC) Football Academies Championship draws towards a close, Ahmed Salem Al Mahri, Manager of DSC’s Department of Academies, has hailed the impact of the tournament on the domestic football scene. More than a 100 teams, including two UAE Girls’ Under-18 teams in a newly-created category for ladies, are taking part in the tournament, which saw some interesting results last weekend, the 12th week of action.
In the Boys’ Under-18 division, Du Laliga HPC took sole possession of the top after City FC were held to a goalless draw by third-placed Al Nujoom. The stalemate allowed Du Laliga, who defeated AS Roma Academy 7-1, to move two points clear at the top with 27 points. In the U16 Division, the two local clubs – Al Shabab Al Ahli and Al Wasl – had a good weekend, with the first defeating FC Academy 3-0 and the second splitting points with Spanish Soccer Schools Iniesta following a 1-1 stalemate. Al Wasl also earned a point in the U14 division following a battling 3-3 draw with Group B leaders Spanish Soccer Schools Ramos, while the Al Shabab Al Ahli U12 boys defeated Al Nujoom 3-0. “It is really great to see all these teams and players in action every weekend,” said Al Mahri.
“We have more than 100 and and 2,300 players taking part, and those numbers make this tournament one of the biggest of its kind in the region. “It is also one of the most important in terms of football development in the country because it ensures that our future generation of players get matches against quality opponents every weekend. “The year-on-year growth of the tournament itself is a testimony to its importance. In the first year, we had around 900 players and 47 teams participating. By the second year, that number had grown to 66 teams and more than 1,300 players, which means a growth of more than 40 per cent. For this third year, the tournament will continue for 18 weeks with more than 500 matches being played. “As you can see, we have more than doubled the number of teams and players in three years. Teams have talked about the great benefits of this tournament, including the opportunity for private academies and local club teams to play each other in an official competition. We have received positive feedback from every participant. “Credit to the whole organising team for the effort they have put in. It is not easy putting together a tournament of this size. “We are really pleased because the youth sector is one of our main focus at Dubai Sports Council and we organise a number of camps, workshops and tournaments for the 8-18 age group throughout the year, encouraging participation from not just the Emirati sports clubs, but also football companies and private academies. “We want to build a generation of talented athletes, who will go on to represent the country successfully and with honours.”
