Cairo: A Saudi government agency has launched an initiative to document chants of the kingdom’s football clubs.
The “Saudi Football Trouq” was launched Wednesday by the Music Commission in cooperation with the Saudi Heritage Preservation Society.
“This unique endeavour aims to scientifically document the chants of Saudi football clubs, and contribute to the preservation of the kingdom’s musical and artistic heritage,” the commission said.
The documentation observes a methodology accredited by the Saudi Culture Ministry conforming to standards of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco).
Goals of the initiative include conducting field surveys engaging associations of major Saudi clubs, musicians, athletes and historians, the commission said.
It also entails establishing a “comprehensive archive” featuring club chants, press articles, books, research and studies, as well as documentaries highlighting the history of different football clubs through their chants.
The initiative emphasises the intrinsic connection between music, culture, and society, but transcends traditional documentation, the Saudi news agency SPA said, reporting “significant progress” already made to this end.
The initial research phase included cataloguing 170 clubs spanning the kingdom’s history.
Moreover, 835 visual, audio, and written materials linked to the Saudi football club chants have been compiled, the commission said.
An inventory of 41 books focused on the Saudi football have been curated, along with collecting related articles and images from matches where chants were performed.
The Saudi football has recently riveted global attention after several clubs in the kingdom signed big-name foreign footballers including the Portuguese icon Cristiano Ronaldo and Brazilian star Neymar.
_resources1_16a30b3523c_small.jpg)
