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Du connects up with La Liga to give football a facelift

Dubai - Endorsed by the UAE Football Association, the Championship will be open to boys and girls aged 11-17 from across the UAE.

In order to change the face of youth football and unearth young talent in the UAE, du in partnership with La Liga, have launched the du Football Champions Cup (duFC).
The ground-breaking announcement was made during a Press conference at the Address Hotel, Downtown Dubai, on Tuesday.
Endorsed by the UAE Football Association, the Championship will be open to boys and girls aged 11-17 from across the UAE.
Featuring the UAE Schools Cup and UAE Streets Cup, duFC officially kicks off its inaugural edition on Oct. 17 in Abu Dhabi and will run across the UAE until March 19, 2016.
The du Football Champion's Streets Cup, in partnership with La Liga, is open to Boys U16.
It allows multiple entrants based on only one requirement: that they participate with a team, either an established team, which could be either a club, school or academy team or a newly formed team with their friends.
The Streets Cup runs concurrently with the Schools Cup with the winners travelling to Spain for training, competitive matches and football tourism with La Liga. Top players could also land a trial with one of the top clubs in La Liga.
Played to world-class standards under the direction of football legend and La Liga Global Ambassador Michel Salgado, du Football Champions will be conducted at a national level.
The launch was attended by Fahad Al Hassawi, Chief Commercial Officer (du); Fernando Sanz (La Liga Director General in MENA and first La Liga Global Ambassador); Saeed Al Tenaiji (Executive Committee Member UAEFA), Michel Salgado (Director of du Football Champions and newly appointed La Liga Global Ambassador), Abdallah Madhoun (Regional Marketing Director of Chevrolet Middle East) and Hussein Murad (CEO at Inspiratus).
Speaking at the press conference Fahad said: "Football is not only a game, it is a tool that gives the youth skills and abilities that will be indispensable throughout their lives.
"As a responsible Emirati, we are proud to nurture the future leaders of tomorrow. Sport can also be a career and we are opening new doors for the younger generations in the UAE to explore the world of professional sports and to excel in it.
We are extremely proud to be launching our new platform - the du Football Champions in the UAE."
Hundreds of schools and thousands of youth will compete for the grand prizes which include an all-expenses paid 14-day trip to Spain with La Liga for training, competitive matches with Spain's best youth football clubs as well as football tourism, moreover top players will be scouted to become a professional player with one of the clubs in La Liga.
"We are proud to be serving as the main sponsor of this platform," said Abdallah Madhoun, Regional Sales and Marketing Manager for Chevrolet, GM Middle East.
"The event provides a powerful platform for young footballers looking to make their mark on the national - and even international - scene.
"The Chevrolet name is synonymous with performance, sportsmanship, and integrity, and it is in line with this that the brand has, over the years, remained a staunch supporter of youth sports. We can't wait to see these young athletes push themselves to the limit, showcase their footwork prowess, and get the recognition that they deserve on the field."
Inspiratus CEO Hussein Murad concluded: "du Football Champions is a celebration of the nation's youth footballers. Creating this platform, with our partners du and La Liga and sponsors Chevrolet, celebrates football excellence in the UAE and will be the catalyst to the development of the future pro-footballers on an international scale."
clareto@khalejtimes.com