Games

DUBAI, Sheikh Rashid bin Humaid Al Nuaimi, Chairman of the UAE Football Association, thanked the UAE’s leadership for supporting sports, in general, and football, in particular, through the construction of the finest sporting facilities and the hosting of major regional, international and Gulf Cooperation Council, GCC, sporting events, as well as for assisting sporting talents and raising their performance and skill levels.

He added that the association’s board is grateful for the support provided by H.H. Sheikh Hazza bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Chairman of Abu Dhabi Executive Council, and Honorary President of the Association, who is the key decision-maker in the association’s initiatives, and H.H. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs.

Sheikh Rashid made his statement during his opening speech at the UAE Football Association Retreat, which began today in the presence of several senior national and international officials, most notably Dr. Abdul Rahman bin Mohammad bin Nasser Al Owais, Minister of Health and Prevention, and President of the General Authority of Youth and Sports Welfare; Hussain bin Ibrahim Al Hammadi, Minister of Education; Jameela Al Muheiri, Minister of State for Public Education; Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology; Lt. General Dhahi Khalfan Tamim, Deputy Chairman of Police and General Security in Dubai; Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim, President of the Asian Football Confederation, and Gianni Infantino, FIFA President.

In his speech, Sheikh Rashid said, “All previous boards of the association have exerted significant efforts to hire the best experts to lead our national teams, and have helped Emirati talents rise and reach leading regional and international positions in the areas of arbitration and management. Today, we will work hard to continue this journey and fulfil the ambitions of sports lovers from around the country.”

Al Mubarak stated that the UAE is capable of drafting a long-term development strategy to achieve sustainability that will not depend on government support, while highlighting the experience of H.H. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, at the City Football Group, which is proof that investing in sports can achieve significant results.

The retreat also featured a recorded speech by Infantino, who stressed his keenness to participate in the association’s initiatives, as he believes that they can help shape the future in a unique way

Source: Emirates News Agency

ABU DHABI, The 2020-2021 football season in the UAE will kick off on September 3rd with the Arabian Gulf Cup, while the Arabian Gulf League will begin just less than a week later, on September 9th, the UAE Pro League said on Thursday night, adding that the Arabian Gulf League U-21 will follow two days later.

The announcement follows a series of coordination meetings with all stakeholders.

The Pro League had held a meeting with the UAE Football Association (UAEFA), which was attended by representatives of the national teams committee and the competitions committee, on Sunday to discuss the new fixtures.

Source: Emirates News Agency

ABU DHABI, The UAE Football Association decided, after coordinating with concerned authorities, to suspend all matches throughout the country during the 2019-2020 season, starting from today and continuing for four weeks.

The move is a precautionary measure to stop the spread of coronavirus, and will be evaluated and reviewed after a specified period of time.

The decision is part of the association’s keenness to adhere to instructions issued by national authorities to take precautionary and preventive measures to preserve the safety of all members of society, both citizens and residents.

The decision covers all competitions organised by the association, including the Arabian Gulf League and the activities of the country’s national teams, the two women’s football committees and private academies.

Source: Emirates News Agency

ABU DHABI, UAE Football Association has postponed U-19 competitions with immediate effect and until further notice on coronavirus concerns, while first-team and U-21 fixtures will continue as scheduled in coordination with the UAE Pro League.

In a statement today, UFA said the decision follows on that taken last Thursday on delaying the competitions of various age groups, including U-12, U-13, U-14, U-15, U-16, and U-17.

The UFA also suspended trainings for various age groups as well as women’s football, futsal and football academies’ activities.

Under the decision, first-team and U-21 competitions will continue in coordination with the UAE Pro League, with all precautionary measures and assessment of the situation to be conducted in coordination with the competent bodies in the country.

UFA urged all stakeholders to stick to the decisions taken to ensure safety of the society and its protection, noting that additional measures will be taken in this regard.

Source: Emirates News Agency

ABU DHABI, The UAE Jiu Jitsu Federation, UAEJJF, announced on Thursday that it has postponed its current calendar of sport events and activities until further notice.

In a statement, the UAEJJF said that it made the decision in a bid to support international efforts to limit the spread of COVID-19.

The UAEJJF has decided to postpone all remaining sport events and activities until further notice to support effective preventative and precautionary efforts, the statement added.

It went on to note that the decision is aligned with the Federation’s commitment to embody the values of the sport of jiu-jitsu and provide an exceptional experience to all athletes, audience and partners.

The Federation statement affirmed that the UAEJJF remains committed to growing the sport of jiu-jitsu and ensuring the health and safety of all athletes and stakeholders.

Source: Emirates News Agency

DUBAI, The United Arab Emirates Football Association, UAEFA, will host an emergency meeting of the Asian Football Confederation, AFC, on 7th March, 2020.

Representatives of Member Associations, MAs, and its Leagues West regions will convene in the UAE as the AFC continues to manage the worldwide impact of the COVID-19 outbreak.

In a statement on Thursday, the AFC said it will call further emergency meetings with the representatives of MAs and its Leagues from both the East and West regions next week to discuss the ongoing effect of the coronavirus epidemic on football in Asia.

Windsor John, the AFC General Secretary, said, These are unprecedented and challenging times, but the AFC is working tirelessly to monitor the situation, including the various travel restrictions while being in constant contact with our Member Associations, Leagues and Clubs.

We are grateful for the support we have received from all our stakeholders, including our Commercial and Broadcast partners and agencies, as we try to protect the safety and well-being of all our players, officials and spectators while also ensuring the integrity of the competitions.

The AFC has also been working with FIFA to assess the potential impact on the upcoming FIFA World Cup 2022 and AFC Asian Cup China 2023 Asian Qualifiers matches scheduled to take place in March.

As a result of the COVID-19 outbreak, several AFC Champions League matches will be postponed to later dates including the first leg between Korea and China which is now scheduled for 9th April, 2020, with the return leg on 14th April, 2020.

Source: Emirates News Agency