Sports | Wednesday 14 June, 2017 5:12 am |

Al Embrator is celebrating winning the second edition of the Sharjah Ramadan Football Championship (SRFC), with the team being crowned champions after beating Al Jawareh 4-1. The jubilant Al Embrator players hoisted the tournament trophy in front of a packed hall of spectators at Sharjah Sports Club following their victory in the final match of the competition, which took place on Monday evening.

Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi, Chairman of the Sharjah Media Council and Chairman of SMC, presented the winner’s trophy to Al Embrator, who clinched the title of SRFC 2017 following two weeks of matches that commenced on May 30. The team scored 38 goals throughout the tournament, which led to their well-deserved title and saw them dethrone their rivals Royal, the champions of the first edition, who ended up taking fourth place this year.     

The final match of SRFC 2017, which was held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Crown Prince and Deputy Ruler of Sharjah, was watched by a number of prominent figures, including HE Brigadier Saif Mohammed Al Zari Al Shamsi, Commander-in-Chief of Sharjah Police; Sheikh Ahmed bin Abdullah Al Thani, Chairman of Sharjah Sports Club; Tariq Allay Al Naqbi, Director of Sharjah Government Media Bureau; Zeyad Khairallah, board member of Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry; and Mohammed Abdullah Al Zarouni, Director of Sharjah Medical Zone.  

Al Embrator, who were undefeated in the tournament, started the final match strongly and it was Mohammed Obeid who opened the goal-scoring for the team in the fourth minute, defeating Al Jawareh’s goalkeeper Ahmed Al Boloushi. His teammate Mohammed Bouldai then added his name to the scoresheet with a second in the 15th minute. The first half ended with Al Embrator 2-0 ahead.

After the break Al Embrator stepped up their attacks on Al Jawareh’s goal, with the team’s Serbian player Marco Berge heading in to the back of the net to take Al Embrator into a 3-0 lead in the first minute of the second half. Al Jawareh responded by putting pressure on Al Embrator to attempt to break down their strong defence, with Diego Favero finally managing to find a way through and scoring the first and only goal for Al Jawareh in the sixth minute. Al Embrator quickly rallied and Mohammed Huzam scored his team’s fourth in the 12th minute. The team’s lead proved unassailable and the final score in the match was 4-1 to Al Embrator.  

The awarding ceremony saw the first three placed teams receive significant cash prizes. In addition to being presented with the championship trophy, overall winners Al Embrator were given AED 200,000. Their opponents in the final game and the first-placed runners up Al Jawareh received AED 100,000, while third-placed Royal were awarded AED 50,000. The SRFC organising committee also gave AED 5,000 to a number of the tournament’s outstanding individual players. The prize for the tournament’s top goal scorer went to Kuwaiti player Abdul Rahman Fahd with his tally of 14 goals for Al Embrator, while his teammate Jaber Mohammed was awarded the prize for the competition’s best goalkeeper. Egyptian player Al Moataz Bellah Abdul Samei was awarded the prize for being the best player of the tournament due to his hugely impressive all-round performance for Al Jawareh.

Also during the ceremony, Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi was honoured by Sheikh Ahmed bin Abdullah Al Thani, Chairman of Sharjah Sports Club, in recognition of the immense efforts of the Sharjah Media Council and SMC in supporting and sponsoring the array of sporting events that are held in the emirate. Sheikh Ahmed lauded the role played by the Sharjah Sports Channel in providing excellent coverage and media updates throughout SRFC 2017.

For his turn, Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi paid tribute to the support of Sharjah’s Crown Prince in the hosting of the tournament. “The generous patronage given by His Highness Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Crown Prince and Deputy Ruler of Sharjah, to sporting events have contributed greatly to the success of the tournament. It reflects the continued support enjoyed by sports and athletes in the smiling emirate, which has been instrumental in ensuring their excellence,” said Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi, Chairman of the Sharjah Media Council and Chairman of SMC.

Highlighting the important role of partners in creating success, Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi bestowed honours on the main sponsors of SRFC, including Sharjah Government Media Bureau, received by Director Tariq Allay Al Naqbi and Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, received by board member Zeyad Khairallah. He also paid tribute to Sharjah Police, received by Commander-in-Chief HE Brigadier Saif Mohammed Al Zari Al Shamsi and Sharjah Medical Zone, received by Director Mohammed Abdullah Al Zarouni.

Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed attributed the success of the second edition of the Sharjah Ramadan Football Championship to the team spirit, friendly competition and superb organisation displayed throughout. He thanked the participating teams for their outstanding performances, which he said had put the tournament on the map as a major soccer forum for talented players from the UAE and beyond.

Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed pointed out that the key goal of organising SRFC as an annual Ramadan tournament is to offer a sporting platform and a forum for young people to invest their leisure time in enhancing their physical fitness, developing their abilities and honing their talents through athletic competition. “We are delighted with the results of SRFC 2017 and this only compels us to create an even better event for next year’s edition,” he said.