Hamdan approves Dh20m for World Cup

Dubai: Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai Crown Prince and Chairman of the Dubai Sports Club, has approved a Dh20 million budget to organise the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup 2009 Dubai, which is to be held at Dubai's Jumeirah beach from November 16 to 22.

The Dubai Sports Club is organising the extravaganza in coordination with the UAE Football Association. The competition will see 16 professional international teams in action including the Brazilian team, who won the South American Championship to seal their spot in the tournament.

The Dh20 million budget will cover all expenses of the championship, including the construction of a stadium to host the main event.

The stadium will include training facilities and other amenities details of which are to be announced later.

Shaikh Hamdan issued instructions to the Higher Organising Committee of the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup 2009 Dubai to ensure the success of the event given that Dubai is the first Arab and Middle Eastern venue to host such a major event and only the third city after Rio de Janeiro and Marseilles to host the Beach Soccer World Cup.

Dubai 2009 will be the fifth championship event since it was launched in Rio de Janeiro in 2005 when favourite Brazil was ousted in the finals and France took home the crown.

The South Americans returned with renewed vigour to take the title in 2006, 2007 and 2008, despite having relinquished the venue to Marseilles, France, a long way from the land of the samba. Now the championship will move to Dubai in the autumn.

The executive office of the council, chaired by Mattar Al Tayer, has already taken the practical steps to support the organising committee in line with Shaikh Hamdan's instructions to ensure Dubai is optimally equipped to organise major global events in compliance with FIFA standards.