du Football Champions platform Kicks-Off in October

du adds life-to-life to a new generation of sports savvy individuals with the launch of du Football Champions (duFC), to discover young talents in the UAE and thus build tomorrow’s football stars, in partnership with La Liga. The Launch was announced in a press conference held today at the Address Hotel, Downtown Dubai. 

The launch was attended by Fahad Al Hassawi, Chief Commercial Officer in du; Fernando Sanz, La Liga Director General in MENA and first La Liga Global Ambassador; Saeed Al Tenaiji, Executive Committee Member UAEFA and Chairman of Social Responsibility Committee, Yaqoob AlSaadi, Head of Abu Dhabi Sport Channel,  Michel Salgado, Director of du Football Champions; and newly appointed La Liga Global Ambassador, Abdallah Madhoun, Regional Marketing Director of Chevrolet Middle East; Hussein Murad, CEO at Inspiratus, the organizers of the Championship; as well as other officials and invited guests. 

Through a ground breaking partnership with La Liga, duFC is designed to offer youth talent from across the UAE the opportunity for a professional international and national football career.  The Championship is also endorsed by the UAE Football Association and is open to boys and girls aged 11-17 from across the UAE. Featuring the UAE Schools Cup and UAE Streets Cup, duFC officially kicks off its inaugural edition on October 17 in Abu Dhabi and will run until March 19, 2015.

Designed to attract the largest number of football enthusiasts, duFC is at no charge to schools or street teams and will enable some 8,000 players (boys & girls) from across the UAE to participate in the Championship.

Speaking at the press conference Fahad Al Hassawi, Chief Commercial Officer at du said, “Football is not only a game, it is a tool that gives the youth skills and abilities that will be indispensable throughout their lives. As a responsible Emirati business, we are proud to nurture the future leaders of tomorrow. Sport can also be a career and we are opening new doors for the younger generations in the UAE to explore the world of professional sports and to excel in it. We are extremely proud to be launching our new platform the du Football Champions in the UAE.”

du Football Champions platform is a long term project that aims to achieve sustainable human development and constitutes du’s corporate social responsibility strategy. Partnering with La Liga, the strongest football league in the world to refine the youth talents and enrich their capabilities with the latest available scientific measures and styles, through training with world-famous coaches and traveling to Spain and playing competitive games with the best La Liga youth clubs. Which will give them the prospects of being selected for an international pro-football career.

Fernando Sanz, Director General for MENA at La Liga and the first La Liga Global Ambassador, said, “La Liga are honored to be part of the launch of du Football Championship platform, as this groundbreaking initiative through the UAE Schools and Streets Cups, will bring together the nation’s youth, providing them with a unique platform to showcase and foster their football talent.  We look forward to contributing to the development of football and young athletes of the UAE. ” 

The tournament will be played at Zayed Sports City in Abu Dhabi, Al Ain Football Club, Sharjah Football Club, Emirates Sevens and Dubai Sports City in Dubai, all under the expert guidance of football legend Michel Salgado, who has just been appointed as a global ambassador for La Liga. 

“I am delighted to kick-off the du Football Champions – a competition that will shape the future of youth football in the UAE.  It provides budding footballers from across the UAE with access to the highest quality competition and the chance to pursue their dreams for a professional international career thanks to the new UAE Schools and Streets Cups partnership with La Liga,” said Michel Salgado, Director of du Football Champions, La Liga Global Ambassador and former Real Madrid star player.” Added Salgado.

“We are proud to be serving as the main sponsor of this platform,” said Abdallah Madhoun, Regional Sales and Marketing Manager for Chevrolet, GM Middle East. “The event provides a powerful platform for young footballers looking to make their mark on the national – and even international – scene. The Chevrolet name is synonymous with performance, sportsmanship, and integrity, and it is in line with this that the brand has, over the years, remained a staunch supporter of youth sports. We can’t wait to see these young athletes push themselves to the limit, showcase their footwork prowess, and get the recognition that they deserve on the field.”

Hundreds of schools and thousands of youth will compete for the grand prizes which include an all-expenses paid 14-day trip to Spain with La Liga for training, competitive matches with Spain’s best youth football clubs as well as football tourism, moreover top players will be scouted to become a professional player with one of the clubs in La Liga. 

Inspiratus CEO Hussein Murad concluded: “du Football Champions is a celebration of the nation’s youth footballers.  Creating this platform, with our partners du and La Liga and sponsors Chevrolet, celebrates football excellence in the UAE and will be the catalyst to the development of the future pro-footballers on an international scale.”