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UAE Stars Kamali, Mattar Join Mubadala World Club

“All I do is say a prayer before each football match,” the UAE national team player told Khaleej Times.

He and his mate, Ismail Mattar, joined the Mubadala Football Experience on Monday to show children a trick or two about soccer.

Linking business and sport is something that came natural to Mubadala Development Company, so on the sidelines of the FIFA Club World Cup due to start in the Capital on December 9, the company set up a really fun soccer zone for children of ages 5–18 years old, in front of Marina Mall in Abu Dhabi.

“There is a synergy between sport and business. They both require precision, target, quick reaction. The discipline you get from practising sport as a child or teenager, you eventually take with you in the world of business,” explained Sultan Al Darmaki, senior officer at Mubadala, responsible for soccer sponsorships.

Continuing until December 20, the Football Experience was opened on December 2 and, according to Darmaki, it was an instant hit, attracting about 2,000 visitors in the first day alone.

Going through the several different “zones”, one can understand why.

“It starts here, with this lounge, where we have two play-stations, where children can play FIFA world cup tournaments,” explained Darmaki.

“You should see them, though. The game lasts four minutes, but you can’t take them away,” he laughed.

Next up is the Batak, a fun game which tests quick reactions and measures hand to eye coordination and reflexes. Then comes the precision shot, where you have to kick the ball into one of the various sizes circles. The smaller the circle, the bigger the points. Next up is the speed shot, which does what it say – measures the speed of your ball shooting. “The fastest shot in the world belongs to English player David Hirst, at 114 mph. In our trials today, the fastest was Hamdan Al Kamali, at 60.9 mph,” said Darmaki.

One of the most exciting “zones” is the freestyle demonstrations, where Abdulla and Ismail demonstrate some cool tricks and acrobatics with the ball. There is also a goalie who has to catch the ball booted in by young visitors.

UAE Football Association (UAEFA) coaches and occasionally, professional footballers are joining the children and teenagers with expert advice on a small, improvised field.

For this Experience, Mubadala has joined forces with the UAEFA, who has agreed to help out with coaches and professionals. Earlier in October, the company announced its sponsorship of the FIFA Club World Cup 2009 and 2010, as well as the UAE FA national teams. “We wondered who is number one when it comes to football and the answer was FIFA. Its tournaments are some of the most watched by children of all ages,” Darmaki explained the 
involvement.

“By working closely with FIFA and the UAEFA, we are hoping to inspire greater participation in soccer – a sport that encourages important qualities such as team work and commitment.”

“It’s also about building an active and healthy community,” he added.

Football Experience is open free of charge daily from 4 pm.

silvia@khaleejtimes.com

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