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Fifa U-17 World Cup gala starts in UAE
Fifa U-17 World Cup gala starts in UAE James Jose / 17 October 2013 Hosts hope for a victory against Honduras; Brazil meet Slovakia first in Fifa U-17 World Cup. ABU DHABI — Back in August, Shaikh Nahyan Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Culture, Youth and Community Development, Chairman for the General Authority of Youth and Sports had said that the tournament is a celebration of future stars. As a ball will be kicked in anger, over the next three weeks, 504 young guns will be hoping to show the world that they are the future. The Fifa Under-17 World Cup kicks-off at the Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Thursday. After the Opening Ceremony is done, it will be the perfect opportunity for the next generation of UAE football to give a glimpse that they are following in the footsteps of their more illustrious seniors. Shaikh Nahyan Mubarak Al Nahyan is also the Chairman of the Higher Local Organising Committee (LOC) for the tournament. The UAE are competing in the tournament for the first time and take on Honduras in a Group A fixture. But there is no lack of confidence. UAE captain Humaid Salmeen reckoned that they could all the way. That is the attitude that the UAE are going with. “We are looking to win the tournament. At the Under-17 level, there is nothing different between the teams,” Humaid Salmeen, said on the eve of the match. “All teams are the same. The only difference is how the players deal with the pressure. As young players, we are not used to the media and the big stadiums. But to be a successful player, you have to prepare yourself well and pass all the difficulties. We will try our best to achieve our ambitions,” he added. The UAE play the second game of the night after three-time winners Brazil meet Slovakia. The UAE’s meeting with Brazil on Sunday is the one that the fans have been waiting for. But the UAE coach Rashid Amir cautioned that they are not looking too far ahead. He said that getting a win against Honduras will be the key. Honduras will be making their third appearance in the competition but haven’t won a game so far or even earned a point. But Amir is treating it the same way as he would treat a game against Brazil. “The most difficult game in any tournament is the first match. Achieving results is going to be hard throughout the whole tournament. But Honduras have been training for this match for a long time. Everybody is talking about the Brazil vs UAE game, but the match against Honduras is the most difficult,” Amir said. Amir said that the squad have prepared well and are battle ready. “The squad has been preparing for more than a year. During that time, they have been training very hard. We had a good training camp and some tough friendly games in Spain. I think we have reached the level that we wanted. The squad is ready to give their best,” he said. The squad began their preparations 15 months ago in Turkey. The UAE left for Turkey in July 2012 before travelling to Saudi Arabia and Spain. They returned to the UAE in January 2013 and trained at home till July before travelling to Turkey again. They left for Malaysia before returing to the UAE in September. The UAE were back on the road again and were in Marbella, Spain from September to October, for their final stint.The UAE played a few friendly games against World Cup opponents from other groups and returned home unbeaten. They played Argentina, defending champions Mexico, Ivory Coast and Panama, whom they blanked 4-0. “Our results indicate that the team is on the right track as far our preparations for the World Cup finals are concerned. We have to maintain this standard and always show a fighting spirit on the pitch. That is how we will win at this tournament,” said Amir. The UAE will be without midfieler Ali Ghuloum, who picked up a knee injury during the friendly against Panama. Ghuloum will have to undergo a surgery. He was replaced by Omar Jumah. Meanwhile, in the opening fixture of the competition and of the night, heavyweights Brazil will be looking to lay the platform for a fourth title when they meet debutants Slovakia. Slovakia are playing as an independent nation for the first time. Brazil’s Gabriel will be the one to watch. The striker signed a contract with one of Brazil’s top clubs Santos, last month. KICK-OFFS (Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi): Brazil vs Slovakia, 5 p.m UAE vs Honduras, 8 p.m Continue reading
UAE rulers receive Eid Al Adha well-wishers
UAE rulers receive Eid Al Adha well-wishers (Wam) / 17 October 2013 Their Highnesses Supreme Council Members and Rulers of the Emirates exchanged best wishes on Eid with the well-wishers, crowds of citizens and expatriate residents. SHARJAH, RAS AL KHAIMAH, FUJAIRAH, UMM AL QUWAIN — Their Highnesses Supreme Council Members and Rulers of the Emirates Dr Shaikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi of Sharjah, Shaikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi of Ras Al Khaimah, Shaikh Hamad bin Mohammed Al Sharqi of Fujairah and Shaikh Saud bin Rashid Al Mu’alla of Umm Al Quwain received crowds of well-wishers in their palaces on Wednesday on the occasion of Eid Al Adha. They exchanged best wishes on Eid with the well-wishers, who included Shaikhs, senior officials, dignitaries, Arab, Islamic and foreign Consuls-General accredited to the UAE, CEOs, Arab and GCC officials and crowds of citizens and expatriate residents. Also among the high-profile well-wishers were Mohammed Ahmed Al Murr, Speaker of the Federal National Council (FNC); Juma Al Majid, Chairman of the Dubai Economic Council; Shaikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa, President of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC); Abdullah Mohammed Al Othman, Qatari Ambassador to the UAE; and Shaikh Nasser Al Mohammed Al Ahmed Al Sabah, Minister of the Kuwaiti Ruler’s Court. Shaikh Ammar bin Humaid Al Nuaimi, Crown Prince of Ajman, received Shaikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa, President of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), on Wednesday at Al Zaher Palace. Shaikh Al Khalifa called on him to offer best wishes on the advent of Eid Al Adha. Shaikh Salman is in the UAE to attend the FIFA U-17 World Cup UAE 2013, which will kick off at the Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium today. The Ajman Crown Prince also accepted Eid greetings from a number of other well-wishers including Shaikhs, ministers, senior officials, diplomats and dignitaries. Continue reading
Visitors express amazement at ‘Dubai 24 Hours’
Visitors express amazement at ‘Dubai 24 Hours’ Staff Reporter / 17 October 2013 Eid visitors indulge in 24-hour shopping, although spending isn’t as high as expected Spend, shop, then drop Families and visitors have expressed their amazement at ‘Dubai 24 Hours’, the non-stop shopping initiative that is operational at eight leading malls in the emirate as part of the ‘Eid in Dubai — Eid Al Adha’ celebrations. However, although footfalls in shopping malls are on the higher side during ‘Dubai 24 Hours’ people are not buying as much as retailers expected. ‘Dubai 24 Hours’ started at 10am on the first day of Eid Al Adha on October 15 and ends at 10am on the third day of Eid on October 17. The initiative provides shoppers 48 hours of non-stop shopping. Participating malls are — The Dubai Mall, Mall of the Emirates, Deira City Centre, Mirdif City Centre, Dubai Festival City Mall, Oasis Centre, Arabian Centre and Lamcy Plaza. “Yes it is very crowded. People are walking in and out of malls, but are they aren’t buying as much as we expected,” Fatima N, a sales clerk in The Dubai Mall told Khaleej Times. “I am doing longer shifts and it will only be worth it if there are enough customers. As of yesterday and the day before, the sales were just as usual,” she added. A few other retailers in some of these malls expressed similar views. “I think it depends on the sales at the stores. Some stores look more crowded than the others and I think the hardest brunt is on us storekeepers,” added Jerome Abuago, an employee of a store at Deira City Centre. The eight participating malls are offering extended shopping hours during the other days of the Eid in Dubai celebrations from 10am to 2am, and dining hours are running till 3am. The initiative is organised by the Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE), an agency of the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM), from October 10 to October 19. Several other malls including Mercato, Ibn Battuta Mall, BurJuman, Dubai Outlet Mall, Al Ghurair Centre, Wafi and Times Square Centre are offering extended shopping hours during the ‘Eid in Dubai — Eid Al Adha’ celebrations from 10am till midnight with some of them staying opening into the wee hours of the morning. Official sources have stated that shoppers were unanimous in lauding the non-stop shopping initiative. Some of the shoppers that Khaleej Times spoke to said the night is a good reason and excuse for younger generations to stay out. Fouad Al Arbash from Kuwait is visiting Dubai with his family to celebrate Eid Al Adha. Fouad’s family of five daughters, a wife and grandchildren, visit Dubai frequently. “We were here last Eid and we loved it. The ‘Dubai 24 Hours’ shopping experience is a brilliant idea. It’s great to have enough time to shop, and we wouldn’t mind shopping till the morning. However, we have children so we need to get some rest as tomorrow is yet another busy day for us. We plan to shop till 3am.” “The younger generations are the happiest. Look at them, out till 3am and parents are calm because mall environments are obviously safe. For adults its one in the same, but yes, for shopping we do go to stores that have the best sales,” said Keshav Manichandani, an Indian national and resident of Dubai. Fahad Al Baraz, with his wife and daughter, have also come from Kuwait after hearing the ‘Dubai 24 Hours’ shopping experience is back. “My wife loves to shop and my daughter loves to play. Despite the crowds we do enjoy our time during the ‘Eid in Dubai — Eid Al Adha’ celebrations and all that it offers”. Driving to Dubai from Riyadh, Ibrahim Mohammed Nasser and his family were here from day one of the celebrations, which commenced on October 10. “We always come to Dubai, but it’s the first time we visited the city during Eid Al Adha. The ‘Dubai 24 Hours’ shopping experience is really a great initiative. We come here mainly to shop and dine. Yet, my five children come first, so they get priority in terms of locations. Most of the malls have wonderful places of entertainment, and my children just love it. They know where they want to go, and the longer time they spend the better they feel about their holiday. I love to see them enjoying their time off from school while my wife is busy shopping endlessly”. From Jeddah, Um Nujjoud came to Dubai with her three children and her sister and nephews. “The last time we visited Dubai was eight years ago. When we heard about ‘Eid in Dubai — Eid Al Adha’ celebrations we decided to live the experience. As you can see I am thoroughly enjoying my shopping. I just love the mix of brands at the malls.” Ludmiala Gurbativuk and her daughter Kate were on a shopping spree at the Mall of the Emirates. “We are so tired but we need to shop till we drop because we’re only staying for a week. We love to shop here and we will probably keep on shopping till dawn. This is a great idea and tourists like us need it”. Sayed Nasser, who lives in Dubai with his wife and three boys, said: “It’s an awesome experience, and foremost going out to malls unites us as a family, and the longer the better as we get to spend more time with our boys. Although one tends to spend a lot of money, the shopping experience is worthwhile”. Sharjah-based resident Anith, who was visiting Dubai with and his family, said: “My brother came over from Doha to stay with us. We wanted him to go through the experience of non-stop shopping. We are here to shop and entertain”. news@khaleejtimes.com Continue reading
