QFA's Key Grassroots Football Tournament Opens May 10

Doha, May 06 (QNA) - The second grassroots football initiative for teenagers kicks off at the North Madinat Khalifa Ground here May 10. Qatar Football Association (QFA) is organising this tournament in partnership with COPA Coca-Cola. Teams of eleven players aged between 13-15 will compete on professional sized fields according to the rules and regulations of FIFA, and will battle it out for the right to be crowned COPA Coca-Cola Champions of Qatar. With the aim to promote healthy living, Coca-Cola Company set up COPA Coca-Cola in Mexico in 1998. Since then, the tournament has grown from strength to strength and is now played across five continents. This initiative has produce good results. In 2009, Nigerian teenager Mikel Agu who was a participant in COPA Coca-Cola went on to represent FC Porto in the Portuguese Primeira Liga. Coca-Cola Middle East introduced the COPA Coca-Cola programme to the region for the first time in 2012 with tournaments taking place in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Oman. The winners of last year's competitions were taken on an all-expenses-paid trip to the 2012 European Championships in Poland and Ukraine. Using football as the platform, QFA supports this youth engagement initiative as it will facilitate access to more football in a non-competitive environment in order to support the excitement of an active and healthy lifestyle amongst Qatar's youth. QFA Marketing and Communications Director Khalid Al Kuwari said, "We are delighted to be partnering with Coca-Cola Middle East for this tournament which is in line with this year's HH Emir Cup 2013 vision to encourage the public to participate in the different local football tournaments that are organized by QFA and its partners. "This initiative is a good opportunity for young Qatari players to showcase their talents and it continues our vision to support and harness young Qatari talent." Commenting on the official launch of the 2013 tournament, Coca-Cola Bottling Company Managing Director (Bahrain and Qatar) Mohammed Akeel said, "Through football Coca-Cola identified a need to connect with youth who aspire to be professional players. So we brought this new grassroots initiative to the Middle East. "Encouraging young Arab football players to participate in COPA Coca-Cola is important to Coca-Cola because it acts as a stepping stone for the professional leagues. By 2022 we hope to see our Arab COPA players representing their countries at the World Cup in Qatar." COPA Coca-Cola has touched the lives of more than 600,000 students through at least 10,000 schools and/or youth club teams in the Americas, Europe, Africa and Asia. (QNA)