Indoor football starts in Al Ain from today

Ten teams are likely to battle it out this evening in the first six-a-side friendly soccer tourney to be held at Al Ain Club indoor sports hall.

Sheikh Sultan bin Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, member of the Al Ain honorary council and patron of this competition, has hailed the organisation of this championship.

Sheikh Sultan has assured that such a competition will benefit both the spectators and the players to utilise their free time during the summer months.

The participating teams have been divided into two categories.

Group 'A' consists of the team led by Sheikh Sultan bin Hamdan bin Zayed, the Al Ain Passports Department, Milan, Desert Storm and Al Farana, while Group 'B' comprises of the team skippered by Sheikh Zayed bin Saeed bin Tahnoon, Zaim Al Emarat, Al Dhahra and squads from the Sudanese and Jordanian communities.

The matches will be played on a round-robin basis during the preliminary stages. As per the schedule, four games will be conducted everyday.

The top two finishers from each group will qualify for the semifinals and the final has been slated for July 9.

The Higher Organising Committee, headed by Nasir Al Tamimi, has endorsed an amount of Dh100,000 for the winning team. There will be separate prizes for the top scorer, the best player and the best goalkeeper of the tournament.

Shoot Company, the patron of the tourney, has arranged for a number of daily prizes for the fans.

The opening ceremony will witness an exhibition match between the 1990 World Cup stars, led by Adnan Al Talyani, and the retired players from Al Ain at 7.30 pm.