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Team gears for next season by launching Football Excellence Program to encourage local talent to join ranks of seasoned players
Homebred youth football team “UAE Precor” recently scored big at the region's premier men's open-age amateur football tournament – the team, incidentally the only fully youth-team competing in the Dubai Amateur Football League (DAFL), was crowned champions of the league's 2014-2015 season, which saw a total of 47 teams competing across four divisions.
“It's a big win, and the boys worked hard to make it happen. Their unwavering commitment to the sport, the passionate support of their parents and the tireless efforts of their coaches have all contributed to this win – it's a group effort, and we couldn't be more proud,” said Tarek Khalifa, chairman and member of UAE Precor's volunteer coaching team.
Comprising players between the ages of 16 and 18, UAE Precor faced strong competition from teams populated with former professional players and experienced athletes from around the world, and defeated several high-ranking teams on their march to securing the season's winning title.
This season marks the team's sixth year in the DAFL; in its first year, UAE Precor was the first U16 youth team to play in an adult-level competition.
“Competitions such as this present to us the opportunity to expose our young, talented players to higher levels of competitive football. It schools them in advanced strategies and tactics, as they go about proving their mettle against seasoned footballers,” added Khalifa. “This is now not just a young team, but a team to be reckoned with.”
UAE Precor's win also marks an achievement for what started as a community athletic initiative – the team is wholly managed and coached by volunteer members of the community and focuses on providing equal opportunities to young talent, even those limited by financial constraints.
In a bid to grow further, UAE Precor will kick off the 2015-2016 season by launching a new Football Excellence Program, featuring a Grass Root Football Coaching initiative for first-time players falling within the U12 and U18 age bracket. The registration for this, opening in the middle of August, will run parallel to the new season tryouts for talented players from all age groups looking to secure a place in the UAE Precor teams. Actual sessions will commence by first week of October 2015)
“This is a window for talented players within the UAE to hone their skills, play the game competitively and gain international exposure. We look forward to helping budding athletes explore their potential to the fullest and scale new heights,” said Khalifa.
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