Abu Dhabi The United Arab Emirates’ status as a burgeoning global centre of sport has been underscored by its hosting of high-profile events such as the Formula One Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.
Such showpieces, which attract the cream of the planet’s sporting talent to the Emirates, are shining examples of the unrelenting drive of the country’s rulers to put a small country with big dreams on the worldwide map.
It’s a towering ambition which also courses through the veins of many UAE-based grassroots sports officials, like Dustin Cherniawski, general manager of the Emirates American Football League.
The Canadian has overseen the impressive growth of the league in two years, with a projected 500 athletes set to take part in the 2014/15 season under the tutelage of 52 volunteer coaches.
So how did a game, which originated in 1869 in the United States and which is a combination of rugby and football, become a hit in the UAE?
Cherniawski said: “I played professional football in the Canadian Football League (CFL) with the Saskatchewan Roughriders from 2005-07. We won the Grey Cup championship in 2007 in Toronto in front of 52,000 fans.
“I retired in 2008 and moved to Dubai to work in green technology and leave football behind me. In 2011, I hooked up with husband/wife combo of Patrick Campos and Julie Teperow from the now-defunct American Football Academy, which had a struggling youth programme going at the time. We joined forces in 2012.”
Of the reason for the growing popularity of the league, which features Abu Dhabi Wildcats, Al Ain Desert Foxes, Dubai Barracudas and Dubai Stallions, Cherniawski said: “The league’s successful because we are authentic. From practice balls to game jerseys, and referees to cheerleaders, everything we do is authentic.
“I think that resonates with people. The National Football League (NFL) is the most watched sport in the world, based on average attendance, because it’s entertaining for the whole family. We bring that same attitude with us each game day.”
The unstinting success of the EAFL could see it spread to other emirates in the UAE soon, he added.
Cherniawski said: “A Sharjah-based team has been envisaged since the league’s inception and looks certain to become reality soon. There are even developmental programmes starting up in the northern emirates of Fujairah and Ras Al Khaimah, both led by former EAFL players. Gridiron looks certain to feature on the country’s sporting landscape for many years to come.”
The all-inclusive nature and wide reach of the EAFL — a microcosm of the UAE itself — are exemplified by the fact that 43 nationalities are represented by players as young as eight and as old as 50. Approximately 30 per cent of the players had never previously played the sport before signing up and Cherniawski and his staff warmly welcome them — “our mission is to have more people playing football”.
But is it just another expatriate-centric sporting operation, or are Emiratis also showing an interest?
“We have a small percentage of Emiratis — currently fewer than 12,” Cherniawski said. “This is a group we hope will take an interest in American football and, hopefully, become coaches in the EAFL for the next generation of athletes.”
A totemic figure for Emiratis in this respect is Cherniawski’s business partner and member of the Sharjah royal family, Shaikh Khalid Saud Al Qasimi, who plays for the Dubai Barracudas.
Cherniawski also does not rule out the possibility of one day forming an Emirati national team. “You would need at least 30 players to make a national team,” he said. “However, it’s not an unrealistic goal. Emiratis tend to be very quick learners and make excellent athletes.
“We hope to see an Emirati national team develop through our league in five years. The key to that is awareness.”
Yet also intrinsic to such a grandiose goal is continual improvement and a ceaseless commitment to professionalism.
These are practices which Cherniawski and his team pride themselves on, the league supremo pointing out that the EAFL has implemented new features this season to embellish an already flourishing operation.
He said: “We have just invested in a professional-grade system for keeping top-notch statistics. Our game-day stats crew will be on the sidelines each game recording stats in real-time, which are available online, with game reports released after each game.
“This year, we offer Discover Football for ages five to eight, which is non-contact and non-competitive skills and drills.”
In keeping with the aim of furnishing an authentic American Football experience, cheerleaders have been recruited to provide a splash of colour and glamour. Cherniawski said: “Cheer Dubai is our sister programme in Dubai and accepts anybody aged 18-plus. There are programmes available for the young cheerleaders.
Yet people power can only drive the league so far, and therefore Cherniawski says he and his staff are seeking corporate partners and sponsors to propel it to even greater heights.
But one target looks likely to remain out of reach for Cherniawski and co — for the time being, at least.
“An NFL game being held in the UAE?” he said. “It’s unlikely that would happen in the near future, yet the players seem to enjoy the UAE. In fact, we have six former NFL players living in the UAE right now and even had [former quarterback] Vince Young visit us at our indoor eight-versus-eight tournament, the Independence Bowl, this past June.”
