JEDDAH, 12 July 2006 — The GCC Cup Under-17 football tournament kicks off today in Abha. The 12-day event being held under the patronage of Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, governor of Abha, ends on July 23.
The championship would take place at the Prince Sultan ibn Abdulaziz Sport City where six GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) member-countries are participating. The countries are United Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman and the host Saudi Arabia.
Prince Sultan ibn Fahd, president of both the Saudi Youth Welfare and Saudi Football Federation, welcomed the players advising them that Kingdom is glad to have them as if it was their second home or country.
The reason behind hosting such sport activities here, according to Prince Sultan and his deputy Prince Nawaf ibn Faisal, is for the different Gulf Arab national teams to meet each other and bond through sports. It is the chance for them to learn from each other and gain experience.
Prince Sultan and Prince Nawaf thanked Prince Al-Faisal for his willingness and interest to host this championship. And finally they wished all the athletes the best of luck and success at one of the best championships for athletes under 17 years old.
