Dubai: The Dubai Sports Council and the “Al Furjan Dubai” Foundation signed a cooperation agreement to launch the “Al Furjan Club” football initiative, which aims to enhance the role of community sports in discovering talent and expanding the base of sports participation within residential neighbourhoods in Dubai.
 
This step comes as an integral part in the implementation of the objectives of the Dubai Sports Sector Strategic Plan 2033 that was launched by His Highness Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Dubai Sports Council, to chart a comprehensive course for preparing future champions to represent the UAE.
 
The agreement was signed by Issa Sharif, Director of Sports Events at the Dubai Sports Council, and Alia Al Shamlan, Executive Director of the “Al Furjan Dubai” Foundation. Under the partnership, the council will be the official sponsor and strategic partner of the initiative, which aims to transform public parks into integrated training platforms to hone the skills of children and youth.
 
Specialised training programmes
 
The initiative includes organising specialised football training programmes throughout the season in six geographically distributed public parks, conveniently located near the players’ residences. These include Oud Al Muteena, Al Warqa 3, Al Worood in Nad Al Sheba 4, Al Barsha Lake, Al Barsha South and Al Mizhar 2. The training will target three age groups, namely the Under 12 (2017-2020), Under 14 (2014-2016) and Under 16 (2010-2013), who will be involved with four training days per week.
 
Talent development strategy
 
The initiative aligns with the key pillars of Sheikh Mansoor’s Dubai Sports Sector Strategic Plan 2033, specifically the ‘Talent’ pillar, which aims to increase the number of sports participants in the emirate from the existing 1.6 million to 2.6 million regular practitioners by 2033.
 
On this occasion, Issa Sharif, Director of Sports Events at the Dubai Sports Council, remarked: “This agreement reflects our commitment to making residential neighbourhoods a true launchpad for talent discovery, in line with the leadership’s vision of empowering youth. We are working to link community programmes with a clear professional pathway that includes supporting more than 1,400 talented athletes, providing scouts to monitor matches and select the best to join Dubai’s clubs.”
 
Community first
 
Alia Al Shamlan, Executive Director of the Dubai Neighbourhoods Foundation, affirmed that the ‘Neighbourhood Club’ initiative represents a comprehensive model for community sports aimed at building a generation equipped with both athletic skills and positive values.
 
She noted that the initiative not only focuses on developing the technical aspects of football but also emphasizes instilling discipline, commitment, teamwork and sportsmanship within a safe and stimulating environment. This strengthens the role of families and the community in discovering talent and nurturing future generations of athletes capable of representing Dubai with distinction.
 
It is worth mentioning that several players participating in the initiative have recently succeeded in transferring to major clubs in the UAE as a result of their outstanding performance and discipline.