3rd Al Habtoor Football Championship kicks off
Championship runs up to April 27
DUBAI, April 14: The 3rd Al Habtoor Football Championship gets underway. The event, held under the patronage of Khalaf Ahmad Al Habtoor, Chairman of the Al Habtoor Group kicked off at Emirates International School, Jumeirah on Friday April 12, 2013. The tournament, which runs until April 27, is aimed at strengthening the bond within the community and building friendships between companies in the UAE.
This year 14 teams are vying for the trophy, including new entrants Dubai International Airport, Dubai Islamic Bank (TANMIA), Dubai Electricity and Water (DEWA), Skydive Dubai and National Paints. They are up against Al Habtoor Motors, Habtoor Hotels, EIS Jumeirah, EIS Meadows, Habtoor Leighton, CICPA(The Critical Infrastructure & Coastal Protection Authority), United Team, Top 1 Security and Diamondlease.
The teams are divided into three groups, that were selected at a pre-launch event draw on Wednesday April 10 at the Al Habtoor Group head office in the presence of Mohammed Al Mazrooei, Managing Director, Al Habtoor Group; Abdul Salam Al Marzooqi, Director of Community Relations; Atef Mousa, Human Resources Manager and Tournament Manager and Mustafa Al Nahas, Administration Manager, Emirates International Schools. The draw was also attended by representatives from each of the teams.
The event started with a friendly game between Grade 8 student from EIS and the Junior Football Academy of the Egyptian Club in Dubai. The Egyptian team won the match in a 4-1 victory.
The first game of the official tournament saw Al Habtoor Motors beat DEWA 7-3, while National Paints beat Habtoor Hotels 4-2. Four matches were played on Saturday; Skydive Dubai beat Dubai International Airport 4-2, TANMIAbeat Habtoor Leighton Group 3-2, Diamondlease beat EIS Meadows 7-2, CICPA beat United Team 4-1.