An experience of a lifetime

In a heart-warming International Women’s Month Etihad Airways surprises four UAE football girls with a trip to Manchester and a front-row seat to watch their heroes in action

Etihad Airways is taking flight to fulfil the dreams of four aspiring female footballers from the UAE, who went from doing their usual training routine in Abu Dhabi to rubbing shoulders with Women’s Super-League’s biggest stars in Manchester.

For Madiyah, aged 12, Meriel and Sura, both aged 11, and Zarah, aged nine, all of whom attend the City Football Schools in the UAE, it was business as usual on the pitch as their regular midweek training routine concluded with a tactical debrief. On this day, however, the girls were getting something extra.

After training, the girls were thrilled to receive a personal message from England Lionesses Chloe Kelly and Lauren Hemp, and Australia’s Hayley Raso, who invited them to join the team as Manchester City match-day mascots for the Women’s Super League fixture against Arsenal at the Academy Stadium on the Etihad Campus in Manchester in the UK.

The touching moment was captured in a heartwarming video that was released to celebrate International Women’s Day. The invitation to fly to Manchester might have seemed too good to be true for the young footballers, but there was an even bigger surprise waiting in the wings.

Unbeknown to the girls, Etihad Airways had booked not just the players, but their parents and coaches as well onto an eight-hour flight of a lifetime. They were to leave that same evening from Abu Dhabi International Airport to Manchester, where the young female players enjoyed behind-the-scenes access to Manchester City Women’s final training session before the match and even scored photos and signatures with some of their role models.

“When we were told about the surprise and asked to put forward four girls, Madiyah, Meriel,

Sura and Zarah immediately sprung to mind,” said Georgia Bainbridge, coach of City Football Schools. “They have demonstrated fantastic skills and potential, but their attitude to training is outstanding and something all the coaches at City Football Schools in the UAE really admire.”

The girls and the rest of the club were especially ecstatic getting a personal message from Chloe Kelly, the England hero who fought back from her ACL injury to score the winner in the European Championship final.

“We want to continue to inspire our female players and promote women’s football as much as we can in the UAE, which has been helped massively following the Women’s Euros and Chloe Kelly’s winning goal,” Bainbridge added. “She’s a player the girls admire and hope one day to emulate so having the chance to watch her and the rest of the team train before meeting them was incredible.”

The girls, donning personalised match-day shirts, were given a special tour of Etihad Stadium and the home dressing room ahead of the match, where they led out the team as match-day mascots in front of a roaring sell-out crowd.

“The UAE places a strong emphasis on elevating the role of women in society and as the national airline we are fully engaged with this mission,” said Amina Taher, Vice President Brand, Marketing and Sponsorships from Etihad Airways. “It was an honour to fly Madiyah, Meriel, Sura and Zarah to Manchester to visit the Etihad Stadium and meet their Manchester City heroes.”

For more information about the airline, visit etihad.com/en-ae

The UAE places a strong emphasis on elevating the role of women in society; as the national airline we are fully engaged with this mission.

Amina Taher,

Vice President Brand, Marketing and Sponsorships from Etihad Airways