Club World Cup inundated with volunteering applications
Close to 5,000 apply to help out at December 6-16 event in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain
More than 7,000 applications have flooded in from individuals hoping to volunteer at the Fifa Club World Cup in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain from December 6-16.
One of the UAE’s largest volunteer initiatives to date invited aspiring volunteers from all walks of life — irrespective of age, gender, nationality, profession or ability, to apply from wherever they are in the region via www.volunteers.ae.
An induction programme will now see successful applicants attend a number of sessions over the next few weeks to ready them for the tournament.
“We are pleased to have had such an extremely positive response from volunteers keen to support the biggest football tournament in the region this year,” said Ahmad Al Qubaisi, director of marketing and communications for the event’s local organising committee (LOC).
“This tournament would be impossible to stage without their expertise and the LOC are looking forward to delivering a successful tournament broadcasted across the world and that each and every volunteer will learn so much from,” he added.
Volunteer manager Mohammad Al Shateri said: “It is great to see so many enthusiastic people determined to assist the LOC in hosting this highly anticipated football spectacle. We will assign various roles and responsibilities over the next few weeks to successfully selected volunteers which will include positions across marketing and communications, ticketing, hospitality, accreditation, and operations.”
Abu Dhabi, which also hosted the event in 2009 and 2010, will host seven club champions. A total of eight games will be played at Zayed Sports City in Abu Dhabi and the Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium in Al Ain.
To date, five teams have qualified, including; Uefa Champions League winners Real Madrid, Concacaf Champions League winners Pachuca, Caf Champions League winners Wydad Casablanca, OFC Champions League winners Auckland City and Arabian Gulf League winners Al Jazira.