Dubai: Demand for places in the amateur tournament of the Emirates Airline Dubai Football Sevens has been so great that 300 team berths have already been snapped up less than one month after registration opened.
More than 3,500 players have signed up in the month since Liverpool great Ian Rush visited Dubai to launch the event, which will be held at 7he Sevens between March 11 and 13.
Mohammad Mattar Emirates' divisional senior vice-president for Airport Services said he had been delighted by the strong response.
"We have had a phenomenal response... It's very exciting to see the football players in the region getting behind the tournament," he said.
"The line-up of legends taking part is also getting stronger all the time, with former Celtic and Netherlands star Pierre van Hooijdonk [being] the latest addition."
Mattar added: "The passion shown by both fans and players in the UAE has been really encouraging. It is going to be a real carnival of football."
Van Hooijdonk, who will be joined by Rush, Kerry Dixon, Paul Walsh, John Collins and Gordon Durie in the legends event is thrilled to be involved in a tournament featuring so many youngsters.
"To see so many well-known players playing will support their ambition to try to reach the big stage too," Van Hooijdonk said.
"I'm really looking forward [to] playing with all these legends as well. To play again together with John Collins makes it more special and to play against the Rangers legends is always something to look forward to," he added.
"I don't know what to expect we will do our best to win this tournament but there is going to be some tough competition from the other teams."
The amateur tournament will run alongside a professional event featuring eight sides — including Arsenal, AC Milan, Olympiacos and Celtic as well as a legends competition between Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United, Celtic and Rangers.
Along with the professionals and legends, the 15-section tournament also includes the Dubai Amateur Football League Men, Open Amateur Men, Open Corporate Men, Open Amateur Men Vets (over 35s), Local Amateur Men Social, Open Amateur Ladies, Open Under-18s, Open Under-16s, Open Under-15s, Open Under-13s, Open Under-11s, and Open Under-9s.
Media league
The organisers have also added a special league for those working in the media industry, giving those who normally report on the sport a chance to display their prowess on the pitch.
Tickets for the tournament are available at Go Sport, Virgin, Worldmart, Emirates headquarters, Dnata Travel Centre, 7he Sevens venue itself, and selected Costa and MMI and Choithram outlets.
They can also be purchased online and by calling Ticketline on 8004669.
