DUBAI, (Pakistan Point News - 09th Apr, 2019) Some of the world’s top young talents will be playing at the Sheikh Maktoum Bin Rashid Stadium in Al Mamzar from 10th to 19th, April, 2019 including from Brazil club Flamengo and Spain’s Atletico Madrid, when they challenge each other for the Under-16 Dubai International Football Championship title.
Organised by Dubai sports Council, DSC, to promote grassroots football and support the country’s young talent, this year’s tournament will again feature some of the world’s best young talent with four Dubai clubs – Al Wasl, Shabab Al Ahli Dubai, Al Nasr and Hatta – challenging defending champions Flamengo, debutants Atletico Madrid, Germany’s Borussia Dortmund and Al Hilal of Saudi Arabia, for the crown.
Flamengo, which won the title on its debut in 2018 defeating Real Madrid in the final, has been drawn in Group B alongside Atletico Madrid, Al Nasr and Hatta, while Borussia Dortmund is in Group A alongside Al Hilal, Al Wasl and Shabab Al Ahli Dubai.
"This tournament gives us a glimpse into the future," said Ali Omar Al Balooshi, Director of Sports Development at Dubai Sports Council, at Tuesday’s pre-tournament press conference in Dubai Sports Council. "These U-16 players are the generation closest to making that step up to their club’s first teams and their senior national teams, and they will be representing their clubs and their countries in a few years from now."
"Speaking from a UAE and Dubai perspective, this tournament meets one of our strategic objectives, which is to develop the football sector, especially at the grassroots level. Our young players have been getting the opportunity to play against some of the best young talents and many of them have gone on to represent the national team," Al Balooshi added.
Ahmed Salem Al Mahri, Manager of DSC’s Sports academy section, said, "For our local young players, it provides invaluable experience and an opportunity to compete against some of the best players from around the globe and learn from them. For our coaches, this is an opportunity to get up close with coaches from these top professional clubs, belonging to different schools of football, and gain from the experience."
