2023-09-30 17:13:38
Abu Dhabi – Al Ittihad FC, the first Indian football club in the UAE, has been recognized as one of the third division clubs by the UAE Football Association. Etihad FC CEO Arakkal Kamaruddin said that there is a big opportunity for non-resident players. Training for the professional first team squad has begun. Thirty players including 4 Malayalees, 20 Indians and 10 foreigners were selected on the basis of excellence. The coach is Salil Usman, who has played for the Indian national team at the under-19 level.
The maiden match was last night at 8 p.m. Al Ittihad FC once morest Dubai City FC. The 16-team league consists of home and away matches every week. The current home ground of Etihad FC is Zayed Sports City in Abu Dhabi.
Competing with international players can ensure a better future for UAE Division 3 League players. The current target is to reach Division 2. And soon to the first division. This will also pave the way for players to get opportunities at clubs in India and internationally.
Al Ittihad Sports Academy, which started in 2012, has appointed foreign coaches from England and Belgium. After completing 10 years, the academy has trained 10,000 people in India and UAE. Apart from football, various types of sports training such as cricket, swimming, basketball, badminton and skating are also available in the academy.
Kamaruddin said that the aim is to find local players and train them to produce international players. Al Ittihad has been able to donate many players like Mohun Bagan FC star and former Kerala Blasters player Sahal Abdul Samad, Jacob John who played for Santosh Trophy champions Karnataka last year, Siddharth Saju and others.
Kamaruddin said that the dream is to provide a platform for the Indian community in the UAE to play football and give them an opportunity to get better training. Subhapti also expressed the belief that Etihad FC will be able to recognize the talents and gift players to the Indian national team. In this way, it is hoped that India can play an important role in qualifying for the World Cup in 2026 or 2030. In connection with this, the new jersey of Al Ittihad FC was also released.
The press conference was attended by Head Coach Salil Usman, Ahmed Khattab Egypt (Assistant Coach), Lovelance Ghana (Goalkeeper Coach), Sule Musa Ghana (Fitness Coach), Kum Killian Cameron (Assistant Coach) and Mako (Team Manager).
English Summary: Al Ittihad FC, the first Indian football club in the UAE, has been recognized by the UAE Football Association
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