UAE set to host Asian junior event

The UAE has finished all the preparations to host the finals of the 10th Asian Under-17 Football Championship, to be held on September 6-22.

A total of 12 teams, including the hosts are competing in three groups in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. This was disclosed by the officials of the UAE FA in a press conference held on Monday night, at the UAE FA headquarters, in Abu Dhabi.

The press conference was attended by Omran Abdullah Omran, Vice Chairman of the Organising Committee, members of the organising committee and representatives from Al Wahda Club, Al Shabab Club, Ministry of Health, Media committee and other sub committees.

Omran conveyed the greetings of Sheikh Saeed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the President of the UAE FA, to the media and members of the organising committee and expressed Sheikh Saeed's thanks for their efforts to help achieve success in organising the event that is regarded as a dress rehearsal for hosting the FIFA Under-20 World Cup, in March next year.

"We, in the UAE, are pleased to play hosts to the teams that represent the future of the Asian football."

While speaking at the press conference, Omran said: "We assure you that all members in the organising committee and its sub committees have put tremendous efforts to achieve maximum success and to offer all facilities to the youngsters who will shoulder the responsibility of a brighter future for the continent's game.

"All hopes of Asia, one of the biggest continents in the world today, to have more seats in the finals of the World Cup, depend on the performance of these juniors and on the sportsmanship and fair play of their teams.

"I would like to thank, on behalf of the UAE FA and the organising committee, the managements of Al Wahda and Al Shabab for playing hosts to the three groups and I am confident that both clubs will leave no stone unturned to provide all necessary facilities to the guests whether they are players, referees or officials."

Ahmed Thani Al Doussary, Chairman of the Public Relations Committee, told the conference that all the preparations regarding the receptions and accommodations of the guests, teams and officials, have finished and the teams have already arrived. They have started training for the opening matches.

Doussary said: "The Yemeni team was the first one to arrive followed by the Chinese and the Koreans. They are staying at the tournament's hotels.

"In Dubai they are staying at the Holiday Inn, Diera, and in Abu Dhabi, the Abu Dhabi Armed Forces Officers Club. They have started their training sessions, preparing for the finals."

Teams from Qatar, Japan and India arrived yesterday through Abu Dhabi and Dubai Airports; Syrian and Myanmar's team will arrive today, while those from Uzbekistan and Vietnam are arriving tomorrow.

The organising committee is still waiting for news from Pakistan to confirm their participation.

The Pakistani team was invited at the last moment to take part in the finals after the FIFA suspended Tajikistan last month.

Both Saeed Abdul Ghaffar of Al Shabab Club, and Rashid Al Zaabi from Al Wahda Club, confirmed there are enough facilities for all such as dressing rooms for the teams and referees, conference halls, media centres and reception lounges loaded with refreshments during the games for guests.

The first group which features the hosts UAE, China, India and Myanmar and the third group consists of Qatar, Syria, Japan and Uzbekistan, will compete at Al Nahyan Stadium in Al Wahda Club.

The second group featuring Pakistan, Yemen, Korea and Vietnam will play at Al Shabab Stadium, in Dubai.

The teams will play a round robin league in the preliminary round and the top two teams in addition to the best two-third-placed shall qualify for the quarter finals. The four winners of the quarter finals will proceed ahead to the semifinals and final.

The top three teams at the end of the competition will represent the Asian Continent in the finals of the FIFA Under-18 World Cup, in Helsinkey, Finland, next year.

The admission to the matches at both the venues of the competition will be free to encourage the local and expatriate football fans to attend the matches and cheer their teams.

The Japanese juniors will play a friendly match today against their counterparts from Al Wahda Club at Hamdan bin Mohammed Stadium in the club here, in Abu Dhabi, preparing for their first match against Uzbekistan, on Sunday, September 8.

Mohammed bin Hammam, the new President of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), will meet with his new elected vice presidents, representing the four zones of the continent, on September 16-17, in Dubai, where he will be staying during the tournament.

They will discuss the future of the game and their campaign to increase the seats of the continent in the 2006 World Cup in Germany.

The AFC and its marketing company will present prizes to the Most Valuable Players (MVPs) in the tournament in addition to a cup and gold medals to the winning team, silver medals for second place and bronze medals for both the third and the fourth places.