The fifth edition of Mubadala Football Tournament began yesterday at the Zayed Sports City Stadium, in collaboration with Healthpoint, a multi-specialty hospital that is part of Mubadala's network of world class health facilities. The week-long tournament is one of several initiatives that Mubadala supports in order to provide exciting platforms for members of the community to be fit and active.
Over 200 players were chosen to take part in this year's edition, out of 339 registered. The community tournament for men aged 16 and above consists of sixteen teams, forming four groups that will battle it out for the championship title. With 6 teams participating for the 2nd time, the Mubadala Football Tournament is becoming a key event in the Abu Dhabi sports agenda.
"Mubadala is committed to finding ways for community members to get active and keep fit and we're excited to see the results of this year's competition given the outstanding team performances we've seen in the past years. We are pleased that the Mubadala Football Tournament has become a key sporting event that encourages friendly competition and healthy living," said Nadine Saleh Hassan, Head of Social Development and Partnerships at Mubadala.
As part of this partnership, Healthpoint, the Regional Healthcare Partner to Manchester City Football Club, will offer the Top Scorer and Most Valuable Player of the Mubadala Football Tournament the opportunity to watch the Aston Villa vs. Manchester City match on April 25th, including flights and accommodation.
"We were named the Regional Healthcare Partner to Manchester City Football Club in November 2014 given our expertise in sports medicine," said Dr. Nader Darwich, Medical Director of Healthpoint and Head of the OrthopDhics, Joint Replacement and Sports Medicine Department. "Our participation in events like the Mubadala Football Tournament is two-fold: one, it provides us the opportunity to offer members of the Abu Dhabi community a chance to experience this partnership with the reigning Premiere League Champions and two, it furthers our goal to promote active lifestyles through sports."
Promising a week of thrilling competition, the Mubadala Football Tournament, for the first time in its history, welcomes a team of ex-professional UAE Pro League players led by Saleh Obaid, Al Jazira Club legend and ex-captain, Khalaf Salem, Husain Suhail the club's top scorer and Tunisian national team Legend and ex-Bundesliga player Zoubeir Baya. The team of veterans will compete for top spot at Zayed Sports City Stadium.
"As the Mubadala Football Tournament is in its fifth year, we wanted to add a lasting memory for participants. We're excited to add a team of ex-professional football players, which we believe will help boost competition and draw interest from several teams and enthusiastic players in our community," added Hassan.
Source: WAM