COVID-19: UAE provide medical aid to six Asian football associations

Abu Dhabi: The United Arab Emirates Football Association (UAEFA) has begun implementing the first phase of an initiative to deliver medical aid to selected football associations in Asia under the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, to help countries affected by COVID-19.

Under the initiative, the UAEFA will send COVID-19 test kits to Asian football associations to help them stem the spread of the virus.

Salem Ali Al Shamsi, Member of the Board of Directors of the UAEFA and Head of the association’s International Relations Committee, stated that their committee and secretariat-general has coordinated with the competent authorities in the UAE to provide the first phase of medical aid to six football associations affected by the pandemic: Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Northern Mariana Islands, The Maldives and Uzbekistan.

“This initiative comes as an embodiment of the humanitarian approach that the UAE’s Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, instilled in us, and in line with the UAE’s initiative to provide substantial assistance to countries in all parts of the world affected by the pandemic,” he said.

Mohammed Abdullah Al Dhaheri, Secretary-General of the UAEFA, said, “The aid provided by our association comes as an expression of the humanitarian approach of our country, and embodies the directives of our wise leadership that is always keen to provide aid to the affected countries.’’

“Humanitarian work is an integral part of our culture which we inherited from the late Founding Father, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan,” he added.

The Secretary-General added that the first batch of medical aid to the six associations has already started in coordination with the competent authorities in the country.