Dubai: A partnership between Kellogg’s cereals and Dubai Sports City’s (DSC) football academy — announced on Monday — will help spread the programme beyond the UAE, according to DSC sports business general manager Maqbul Dudhia.
Over 700 children are currently involved in the academy, which former Spain and Real Madrid defender Michel Salgado set up eight months ago, and Dudhia has come out with plans for its expansion.
“This agreement with Kellogg’s is a massive step forward for the complex,” he said. “We currently have 710 children in this programme and at capacity we could still deliver the same quality at 750.
“But we are looking to take this concept and relocate it to other places within Dubai. We are looking to spread throughout Dubai within the next 12 months and, beyond this 12-month target, we are looking to take the programme beyond the emirates.”
Salgado, the academy’s director of football, said he hoped the agreement would allow the academy to continue to grow while maintaining quality.
“On one hand, having Kellogg’s onboard shows that we are doing things the right way, but we must also make sure we pay them back by keeping our standards up,” he said.
Salgado added that DSC football academy’s partnership with Kellogg’s was a perfect match in terms of promoting a healthy lifestyle.
“As a sportsman, I know diet is one of the most important things,” he said. “With Kellogg’s, we can teach the next generation to take care of their diet with cereals.”
Kellogg’s marketing director Ahmad Yahya agreed that the two brands complemented each other well and the agreement also served to highlight the importance of health and fitness.
“The vision we both share is clear,” he said. “We want to enrich our customers and make sure families, especially youngsters remain healthy and get the best start, especially knowing the issues with obesity. Together we want to create stronger, healthier communities across the region with the support of Dubai Sports City.”
