Whitgift School netted a fantastic double as they roared to success in both age categories at the Arabian Cup, which was played for the first time in Dubai this Easter. The inaugural competition was staged at the Jebel Ali Centre of Excellence last week. (View the Facebook album here).
Organised by Sporta Tours Worldwide, teams from around the world descended on the Emirates for a shot at glory. It was the UK-based Whitgift school that took the honours in both the Under-12 and U-14 sections. The London school swept IFA aside in the U-12 section with a comprehensive 4-0 triumph.
Whitgift’s Eddie Miller netted the Top Goalscorer award while Thomas Blake was named Player of the Tournament. IFA’s Adil Mohamed was named the Best Goalkeeper. It was a closer encounter in the U-14’s final as Whitgift edged it 2-1 against Alliance FC. Whitgift’s George Tye was named the tournament’s Best Player, while Abdullah Khalid, of Desert Rangers, was the Top Scorer and the Goalkeeper of the Tournament award went to Alliance’s Tarek Fattouh.
The tournament was in its inaugural year, with Sporta Tours joining forces with It’s Just FOOTBALL, whose Managing Director Chris Brown predicted the tournament will only grow. “It was the first one but what we’re looking to do is build long term,” said Brown. “Sporta Tours have tremendous success with their cricket tournament, so we’re already looking to the future and making it bigger next year. A lot of teams from India will be coming as we’ve already signed an agreement with a company there. “With the ongoing support and the facilities at the Jebel Ali Centre of Excellence, it’s a tournament that’s only going to get bigger.”
If you are interested in participating in next year’s tournament, please visit our dedicated webpage and contact us.
