Thousands of football fans expected to kick off UAE-wide football tournament

UAE Schools and Streets Cup aims to promote teamwork and physical activity among children, away from computers.

Former Real Madrid defender Michel Salgado has been appointed a La Liga global ambassador. Satish Kumar / The National

DUBAI // Thousands of youngsters across the country will kick off a six-month football festival next month.

The UAE Schools and Streets Cup – two competitions that form the du Football Champions initiative – are expected to attract 8,000 boys and girls, aged 11 to 17. The tournament gets under way in Abu Dhabi on October 17.

Organised in partnership with Spain’s professional league La Liga, with the support of the Abu Dhabi and Dubai Sport Councils and government of Dubai, it will hold matches in the capital, Dubai, Al Ain and the Northern Emirates, culminating in the finals at Dubai Mall in March.

At Tuesday’s launch, former Real Madrid defender Michel Salgado said the tournament could help to find the next Emirati football star.

“I think football is everywhere. You will find talent everywhere, it doesn’t matter where you play – on the street, at school, in an academy – talent is there and it’s natural. You just have to identify it and work with it.”

More than just developing on-the-field talent, he said the initiative would help to develop leadership skills and promote physical activity, while putting children of different nationalities on the field and promoting teamwork.

“It’s important to complete our kids’ education, more important than finding the next [Lionel] Messi,” said Salgado, the tournament’s director. “It pushes kids to have aspirations and hope.

“Working as a team is not only important for football but for real life. That’s even more important than becoming a professional footballer.

“Without team spirit and togetherness, it is very difficult to achieve anything in life.”

The UAE Schools Cup has three categories – boys’ under-14 and under-16, and girls’ under-17 – and organisers expect up to 500 teams from 200 schools to take part.

The UAE Streets Cup will be open to boys aged 14-16. Teams can be made up from schools, clubs, academies or even just groups of friends.

The winning teams and the most outstanding players will win an all-expenses-paid trip to Spain to train with professionals from the country’s top league.

The two tournaments will run concurrently, with matches played at Zayed Sports City in Abu Dhabi, Al Ain Football Club, Sharjah Football Club, and Dubai Sports City.

“We have beautiful weather between October and April, we want our kids to be outdoors, living a healthy lifestyle, competing, and building spirit,” said Hussein Murad, chief executive at Inspiratus, the tournament’s organiser.

“That’s why we’re building something at the world-class level with coaches from La Liga, to motivate those kids to come out.”

With reports of increasing rates of heart attacks and obesity among young people, Fahad Al Hassawi, du’s chief commercial officer, said the tournament would help in the drive to promote healthier lifestyles.

“Sport, in my opinion and in those of many others, needs to be refreshed with this particular segment of the community because most of those boys and girls are occupied with electronics and social media at the expense of doing physical activity,” he said. “With that comes a lot of issues and challenges, such as obesity and lack of social interaction with others.

“Sport generates well-rounded leaders of the future. It touches many aspects that many people want to improve in the community, not just finding stars but improving the social skills of this generation.”