JEDDAH, 26 November 2006 – Football enthusiasts were present in large numbers to witness a novel tournament at Tahlia street here over the weekend.
Players played the game in a special cage, designed like a football pitch and conceptualized and prepared by Relay Dubai. The pitch was transported from Riyadh, where the game had some of its initial rounds, to Jeddah for the semifinals and final.
Thirty-two teams participated in the “region’s first caged football” event in the two cities. Only eight teams made it through the challenging early stages of the tournament to compete in the finals of the Kingdom’s “First street soccer festival.”
The eight short-listed teams were Italy, Al Wazeer, Al Harthy and Zaidan from Riyadh, and Al Zahra, Shabab Al Sharafiya, Milano and King Abdul Aziz University from Jeddah.
The final was played between Al Zahra of Jeddah and Zaidan of Riyadh. The game ended 5:3 in favor of Zaidan. Al Harthy beat Al Wazeer 5:4, both Riyadh teams, to claim third place. Huissen Al Mutairi of Al Harthy was adjudged best skilled player of the tournament.
Labeled Snickers’ ‘Street Skillz’ tournament — first ever 3-on-3 football event in the region — it is part of a long-term campaign by the chocolate brand to strengthen its affinity with football.
“It’s great to see the response and the wave of excitement that has been created by the tournament, which in addition to our support for the forthcoming Jeddah Schools Tournament, is a testament to the brand’s commitment toward football in the region,” said Ahmed Saab, GCC Marketing Coordinator, Snickers Brand.
“MasterFoods is all about being seen at the grassroots level with football. The cage football has attracted more than a thousand young footballers across the Kingdom to demonstrate their football skills. This never-been-done before event has created a competitive, urban environment based on sportsmanship and a mutual love for the beautiful game,” Saab said.
