JEDDAH, 28 November 2004 — The president of the higher committee for Sadaqa International Soccer tournament, Prince Muhammad Al-Abdullah Al-Faisal, announced that this year’s edition of the Sadaqa tournament will not take place.
He said that the Sadaqa Eight Tournament held last August as the last edition. The decision was announced at a press conference on Friday night.
Prince Muhammad said, “We received instruction from proper authorities to discontinue the Sadaqa tournament.”
Prince Muhammad thanked Asir Governor Prince Khaled Al-Faisal for his assistance in making the soccer tournament, held every summer in Asir, a success.
Prince Muhammad also said that Friday was his last day with Saudi soccer and sport. He said that the tournament was held in honor of his father Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal. He said the tournament saw the rise of many Saudi stars, who are now in the national team.
Teams from more than 45 countries participated in the tournament. Also, national teams from Oman, Bahrain, Syria, Iraq and Morocco had taken part.
The first tournament was held in 1997 in Abha, won by the Brazil youth team. In 1998, Al-Hilal of Riyadh emerged the champions. In 1999, Safaqci of Tunisia won, and Hilal took the title the next year.
In 2001 and 2002, Al-Ahli of Jeddah won and in 2003, the Iraq Olympic team took the crown with Al-Raja Al-Bedawi of Morocco emerging the winners last year.
