Juggling into Old Trafford

Dubai: It was their juggling skills that finally saw them through. Fifteen-year-old Ben Rose and 12-year-old Do Hyum Kim topped 28 other competitors to represent Abu Dhabi in the Manchester United Soccer Schools World Skills Final which takes place in front of 75,000 spectators at Old Trafford. Kicking off at Manchester United's Carrington training ground, the event reaches its climax in front of a packed house at Old Trafford before the Red Devils' Premiership game against promoted Norwich City on Saturday, October 1.

The two Abu Dhabi-based boys took part in the inaugural Abu Dhabi Skills Final on Saturday at the Dome@Rawdhat, which tested their dribbling, short passing and ball control techniques.

And, understandably, the duo were elated at landing the all-expenses paid trip to the UK to play alongside aspiring young footballers from around the globe in the MUSS World Skills Final.

"I was quite nervous. I didn't think I had done that well. I really didn't expect to land the ultimate prize of going to Old Trafford and play in front of 75,000 fans," Rose, a Grade XI student of a British school in Abu Dhabi, told XPRESS.

"It's a dream come true. I always wanted to be a professional footballer, which is why I started out quite young."

Rose, incidentally, is a Liverpool fan. "I know it is odd, but then MUSS was the best opportunity I had of honing my skills after moving here one-and-a half years back."

So, who is his favourite Red Devils player?

"[Javier] Hernandez, because he works so hard," Rose said.

One of course did not need to ask Kim who his favourite Red Devil was. South Korean superstar Park Ji-sung was an obvious choice for the Grade VII American International School student. And while it was a surprise to him that he was chosen, Kim said he had prepared for it. "I worked hard prior to the event and practised all the skills," he said. And like Rose, Kim too wants to be a professional footballer and for that he intends to return to MUSS. "I have really enjoyed myself here and I look forward to coming back. We have learnt so much, not just soccer skills, but attitude, behaviour and how to be better people," he said.

Skills challenge

More than 800 seven- to 16-year-olds took part in the first season of MUSS football programmes in Abu Dhabi which was launched in October last year.

Ten winners were announced on completion of each of the three modules making up the 2010-11 programme.

The 30 finalists last weekend highlighted the multi-cultural nature of the MUSS programme in Abu Dhabi, with the line-up of nationalities including the UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, Jordan, Yemen, Egypt, Lebanon, Palestine, USA, UK, Canada, South Africa, Australia, South Korea, Italy and France.