Sport | Football
UAE footballers to get ID cards
UAE footballers' registration in the FA will be through identity cards issued by the Emirates Identity Authority (EIDA). In the past passport copies and other documents were used to sign-up players.
- By Sayed Ali, Senior Reporter
- Published: 23:56 October 22, 2008
- Image Credit: Arshad Ali/Gulf News
- Al Rumaithi and Al Zarouni during the press conference on Wednesday to announce the registration of footballers.
Dubai: UAE footballers' registration in the FA will be through identity cards issued by the Emirates Identity Authority (EIDA). In the past passport copies and other documents were used to sign-up players.
The initiative was announced during a press conference yesterday at Dubai Concorde hotel in the presence of Mohammad Khalfan Al Rumaithi, the FA chairman, and Darwish Ahmad Al Zarouni, director-general of the authority. FA board members were also present at the press meet.
"The EIDA welcomed the initiative of the FA to add the identity card when registering players, coaches and administrators in the association. We have 5,574 players who will be issued identity cards. 4638 of them are amateurs and 936 are professionals," said Al Rumaithi.
He added: "In addition to that we will also issued all the employees working in the FA and their families with identity cards."
Al Rumaithi said the EIDA programme will contribute in elevating the UAE to its well-deserved position among the advanced countries in the world.
Al Zarouni, who worked in the sports field as vice-president of the UAE handball association and manager of the Al Ahli senior football team in the 1990s, said UAE citizens and residents will benefit from the programme.
"I take this opportunity to thank the FA for their support to the EIDA programme, which will help them in registering players, coaches and adminstrators through the identity card. It will save them time and money," said Al Zarouni.
He said the programme will help in the development of the country.
"General Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, and the President of the EIDA board, said: "The coming generations will benefit a lot from this programme."
Al Rumaithi said the FA will ask the clubs to get the identity cards for players from the nearest registration centre.
Sport Editor's choice
-
Winning Desert Classic close to McIlroy's heart
Joint-leader draws inspiration from girlfriend's personal pursuit of perfection
-
Top teams hold on to their positions
Of the strugglers, Emirates continue their climb up the table after some superb performances while Sharjah drop
-
Staking a claim
Mendip bounces back to his best form to win middle leg of Al Maktoum Challenge and trumpet his big-race credentials
