JSA takes centre stage at Beijing Cup International Schools football
MUSCAT: With so much at stake, the Junior Stars Academy (JSA) defied all the obstacles despite the limited financial capabilities it has to take its boys to China to participate in an international schools football tournament.
The reception in Beijing was excellent and the games were played on outstanding facilities and referees that made the game exceptional which followed Fifa rules and regulation.
JSA has made a history of being the first Omani youth academy to set foot in China last July and compete with the international schools of football in a tournament after having to struggle in finding sponsors. Thanks to PDO whose promise of contribution boosted JSA morale.
“The 7th Beijing Cup International tournament gave our boys the chance to hone their talent and embrace core values such as teamwork, friendship and respect through their shared passion for the sport,” said the head coach.
“The Beijing Cup tournament was an amazing experience for me,” said Nassih al Barwani, one of the players of JSA team.
“It was an opportunity that was provided to us by our academy and coaches to compete with much stronger organised international teams in a full size football pitch for 70 minutes and show our talents at the game in front of more than 500 football lovers from across the globe. It is this opportunity that we are craving for our nation to provide us so we can show the world what we are made of in an international arena and one day become champions.”
“The experience that our boys have gained is enormous,” JSA founder Ali al Maawaly explains. “It was not about who win or lose. We took our children to China to create connections and make history and to encourage them to express themselves with other teens from Australia Japan, Indonesia, Russian and China through their shared devotion to the beautiful game of football.”
“Our JSA team had participated in a tournament that looks not just about competition and sport, but rather it was about championing our nation values and leaving a lasting legacy to our youth,” said the Managing Director of the team.
“Lack of infrastructure and training facilities is often the stumbling block for aspiring football players.”
“The aim to have a world-class national team can only be realistic if everything starts at the grassroots level, with players being nurtured from an early age and also given proper exposure so that they develop into successful footballers,” Ali Soud al Maawaly addressed this to the boys’ parents when provided them with the jersey to wear when departing Muscat to Beijing.