Across the Kingdom, Ramadan soccer tournaments are an annual event. Some of the tourneys are professional events that draw large crowds and earn the players large sums; some of the tourneys are for youngsters whose main focus is having a good time, and furferah, or table soccer, tournaments draw young players and proud fathers.
In Jeddah, hundreds of youngsters are playing football in most all of the city’s 52 neighborhoods. The late-night events attract fans, players, soccer club scouts and snack-cart vendors.
In the more advanced tournaments, former and current local soccer superstars also can be seen participating and heading neighborhood teams. Players, such as Ismael Hakkami, Marwan Bassas, of Ittihad and Khaled Mussad, Mohammed Shalia and Mohammed Al-Khalawi of Al-Alahli, also are participating in this year’s Ramadan tournaments.
“We prepare for Ramadan tournaments months earlier, by extensively training for our upcoming events,” said Ahmad Gazzaz, who this year has taken part in three tournaments. “During Ramadan, we have a lot of spare time on our hands, so we practice our favorite pastime.”
“The tournaments don’t take time away from religious activates during Ramadan since the majority, if not all, of the tournaments are held after Taraweh prayers and end before the 20th of this month,” said Gazzaz.
Although most of the players play for fun, some more experienced players cash in by joining teams with tournament hopes as ringers. An out-of-town ringer can get housing, a rental car and up to SR25,000.
These highly skilled players view the game as a business. “They were promised to be paid remuneration if they reached the quarter finals in the tournament,” said Samir Al-Jouhani, a well-known neighborhood soccer player. “But the team sponsor didn’t stick to his agreement.”
There is no shortage of tournaments, and there are other teams willing to pay the price of success. Al-Jouhani, said that they already are participating in other tournaments in which the sponsors pay. The ringers get two payoffs if they play well. In addition to the cash, if they’re outstanding this year it will mean more offers and better offers next year.
According to Al-Jouhani, a number of players participating in NCB tournament were paid SR5,000 each for qualifying to further stages, and the tournament continues.
The most advanced teams neighborhood teams are Al-Badani, Al-Arabi, Al-Talia, Al-Yanabi and Shabab Al-Salem are favorites and draw hundreds of crowds during their matches.
Top Saudi clubs have also benefited by playing neighborhood teams during preparations for their upcoming season. “Kids love watching neighborhood soccer tournaments,” said Fahd Al-Harbi, a 26-year-old Saudi. “They have produced some of our all-time best players, such as Hamad Al-Muntashari, Ittihad and Saudi National defender.”
The fact that there is no shortage of excitement also means there is no shortage of fans.
“I’m not a good player myself but I enjoy attending the games with my friends during Ramadan,” said Bandar Ali, a committed fan. “You see great matches, which are very competitive with highly skilled soccer players. Sometimes we wonder why a player isn’t enrolled in the Saudi clubs because to us they seem better than a lot of professional players in the league.”
Meanwhile, on the streets of Madinah, kids have discovered that you don’t need a soccer field to have fun — a furferah table (foosball) works just fine.
In this city it seems as if there is a table soccer game going on nearly every street corner and sidewalk. This game brings people together to socialize, usually between Isha prayer and dusk.
“What makes this game very important and so special is that it gathers people for long hours,” said furferah fan Eid Al-Raddadi. “When I see this game on every corner, I see the Ramadan sprit. The only time I feel it’s a Ramadan night is if I spend at least three hours playing.”
When Arab News went to Madinah to investigate this furferah fad, it wasn’t very hard to find a host of young furferah fans.
“What makes this game is so special is the competition,” said 14 year-old Salem Al-Ahmadi. “It costs SR2 to play the game. The rules state that the loser pays the game fee. Although SR2 is nothing, we fight to keep it. It is not about the money but about the principal of the game. The very next day we find the losing team challenging us once again to regain their pride and make up for the loss.”
Another young man wondered if anybody really loses.
“We participate in many tournaments in which we try to win the title,” said Hamed Ali. “The only level we got to was the quarterfinals. There are many good players in the game with good reputations. We play against them knowing we will lose in the end, but there is nothing to lose. To me, there are no losers in this game.”
Ali Ahmad Abu Dabous organizes furferah tournaments and owns more than a dozen furferah tables. After Isha prayer, he goes outside his house to the sidewalk opposite to his house and gathers old and young for furferah fun. “I love this game for three reasons,” Abu Dabous said. “First, it was my favorite childhood game; second it brings people together; and third it is profitable.”
He shares the wealth with the players, though. The victors receive SR500, and runners-up get SR200. With all the enthusiasm, you’d think the prize was SR5,000
“The competition gets so hot that top players from around Madinah come to watch the tournament; fathers come to watch the tournament,” he said. “This creates another line of business for me because I start selling sodas and sandwiches to the crowd. To many players, it is not about the money but about the pride of winning the tournament against many champions of Madinah. We take the game to another level by playing with two and three balls and the same time. Only players with sharp eyes and great experience will manage to play them and win it. Most games are the best of five. The winner of the best-of-five games advances to another level until they reach the final.”
As Ramadan winds down, and the tournaments wrap up, the furferah fire slowly starts to wane until another Ramadan rekindles the furferah flames to light up the nights — and the lives — of fans and players alike.
