800 enjoy Mubadala Grassroots kickaround

Abu Dhabi: The first "Grassroots Festivals," held jointly by the UAE Football Association (UAEFA) and Mubadala Development Company (Mubadala), the official sponsor of the UAE National Teams and Exclusive Grassroots and Youth Development partner, drew over 800 children from all over the UAE, and offered a glimpse into the UAE's future football stars.

In September 2009, Mubadala signed a four-year sponsorship agreement with the UAEFA to support the development of football in the UAE by ensuring that adequate infrastructure is available to nurture the UAE's talent pool.

Collective effort

Mubadala worked collectively with the Football Association and the local education authorities to bring this year's festivals to life.

The pilot grassroots and youth development programme, which was launched in Abu Dhabi on April 18, and then moved to Dubai, Sharjah and Fujairah, culminated during the National Festival played at the Zayed Sports City, where 160 children from top schools — from each of the four Emirates — competed against one another.

Over the past two weeks leading up to the National Festival, boys and girls between the ages of six and twelve from 16 schools were given hands-on football instructions by Fifa-accredited male and females coaches.

Due to the overwhelming interest and support from the local education authorities, plans are underway for the 2010/2011 festivals to include all seven emirates and all 10 education zones, in addition to widening the age brackets to include children under eight, under 10 and under 12.