Fujairah geared up to host AFC Under-19 Championship

Fujairah is all set to host the AFC Under-19 championship which gets underway on Saturday with Iraq taking on South Korea at 3pm followed by the match between China and Thailand at the Fujairah Stadium.

The two groups involved in the competition are Korea, China, Thailand and Iraq (Group B) and  Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Australia and Syria (Group B).

Korean coach Lee Kwang Jong said the first match is always difficult but they are prepared.

Iraqi team coach Hakim Shaker admitted they faced a tough task.

"This group is the strongest and the most difficult but our team’s goal is to win and qualify for the finals," he said.

The weather will be a major factor but all coaches were prepared for and pointed out that it is something that every team will face at a pre-event press conference held on Friday.

"The weather is actually nice. It’s hot but not too hot. We are very impressed with the nature and scenery in Fujairah especially the mountains and the sea and the weather is nicer than we thought," said  Chinese team coach Jan Olde Reikerink.

Thai coach Arjharn Songn Gamsap said it was the same in Thailand "so our team is accustomed to this heat".

"Our first match is with China and it’s the most important match for us. We hope to win this match as it will strengthen our standing in the tournament," he said.

Answering a question whether the existence of three Arab teams in this group has created some sort of a dominance or home advantage, the Australian coach Paul Okon said: "When the names of the teams for this group came out, we didn’t look at the country or the flag; we looked at the quality and the strengths of each team."

An introductory meeting was held on Friday morning at the Layalina Ballroom in the Fujairah Concord Hotel. The meeting was attended by the Asian Football Confederation delegation and all the participating teams, in addition to the members of the local organising committees for the two Fujairah groups. The meeting aimed at explaining the rules and regulations related to these two groups.
 
Attending the meeting was AFC U19 General Coordinator and Manager of the two Fujairah groups Brian Si and Nasser Al Yammahi, Head of the Local Organising Committee of the two Fujairah groups, and Dr. Ahmed Thani Al Dousari, General Coordinator of the committee.

Al Yammahi said that all committees are fully prepared for the championship which constitutes a new challenge for Fujairah to be worthy of the valuable trust bestowed upon it by the AFC.

He pointed out that Sheikh Hamad bin Mohammed Al Sharqi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Fujairah, and Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad Al Sharqi, Crown Prince of Fujairah are both very supportive of the championship and were following, with Sheikh Maktoum bin Hamad Al Sharqi, son of His Highness the Ruler of Fujairah, the preparations and the requirements of the AFC and the UAE Football Association.

"Everyone is working hard to ensure that the event comes out in a way worthy of the name of Fujairah and the United Arab Emirates," he added.
 
The heads of the committees constituting the Local Organising Committees are Dr. Sulaiman Al Murshidi, Head of the Security Committee and Ahmad bin Abbad. Head of the Medical Committee, Khalid Al Dhanhani, Head of the Welcoming and Activities Committee, Ibrahim Karam, Head of the Facilities Committee, Khalfan Ali Al Nuaimi, Head of the Services Committee, Sultan Al Shara, Head of the Media and Marketing Committee, Ahmed Al Zaabi, Head of the Finance Committee and Khalil Yousif Abdul Bari, Secretary.