• Home
• /
• Cricket

UAE boys ready for N Korean challenge

DUBAI — The UAE Olympic national squad is scheduled to touch down at the Pyongyang International Airport on Friday morning ahead of their North Korean challenge in the first leg of the home and away format of the 2012 London Olympic Games qualifier.

The two sides will lock horns at the Kim Sung Stadium in the Korean capital on Sunday. The Boys in White will play their home clash at Khalifa bin Zayed Stadium in Al Ain City four days later.

The UAE Olympic national team have concluded a 10-day training camp in the Chinese capital Beijing. The Boys in White carried out their training sessions at an artificial grass pitch which is very similar to the one at Pyongyang Stadium. They have played a friendly against Hong Kong which they won 2-0. According to the UAE Olympic national team manager Mutrif Al Shamsi, the dream of reaching the finals of the 2012 London Games starts from the away clash against North Korea in Pyongyang on Sunday.

He said: “We need to achieve a positive result to have the upper hand in the home clash at Khalifa Stadium in Al Ain City on June 23.

“Qualifying for the London Games is a legitimate dream for our nation and should the Boys In White manage to do it, the UAE would join an exclusive group of countries that have competed in all major competitions including the World Cup finals for junior, youth and senior national teams.”

Al Shamsi said his team is well prepared to face the home team in front of the passionate North Korean fans on Sunday. Meanwhile, Abu Dhabi Sports Channel would show the live telecast of the game between UAE and North Korea.

hisham@khaleejtimes.com