SC
For the third consecutive year, Qatari students in the UK have participated in a popular football tournament sponsored by the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy. The aim of the Qatari UK Students' Cup is not only to bring students together to enjoy playing football, but also to increase awareness about the FIFA World Cup 2022™.
This year, for the first time, the tournament was organised by the students themselves. Mohammed Al Mulla, a student at Liverpool John Moores University, is passionate about Qatar's hosting of the FIFA World Cup™, so was eager to get involved in running the tournament.
Chief organiser Al Mulla, who is studying electrical engineering, said: "I am a football fan from childhood. My father used to take me to matches. When I went to the 2006 Asian Games, I looked at my cousins as super heroes because they had the chance to participate in the event. So if there is any opportunity for me to contribute to making Qatar's World Cup a success, I will gladly take it."
Being a Liverpool fan, when the time came to choose a place to study, Al Mulla's passion for the club played a part in him deciding to join John Moores.
He said: "I am enjoying my time in Liverpool; this is my third year in the UK. I'm the head of the Qatar Society in Liverpool, which aims to help students in their life outside their home country."
More than 130 students participated in the 17-team tournament this year, including organisers, players and spectators from all over the UK. Teams from London, Liverpool, Huddersfield, Nottingham, Birmingham, Swansea, Bristol, Hull and Preston participated in the competition at Powerleague Trafford Sportsdome in Manchester.
Before kick-off, participants attended an information session about Qatar 2022 followed by an opening ceremony attended by Dr. Mohammed Al Kaabi, Cultural Attaché at the Embassy of the State of Qatar, Fahad Al Kuwari, Assistant Cultural Attaché, Mohammed Al Jaber, representative of the Qatari Ambassador to the UK, and Jassim Al Muftah and Abdulla Al Rumaihi, from the Qatari Embassy.
For the second year, Huddersfield won the tournament, with Bournemouth in second place. Omar Al Emadi, from Huddersfield, won best goalkeeper, Ahmed Al Ghamdi, from Bournemouth, won best player, and Khalid Al Obaidly, from Huddersfield, was the top scorer.
For Al Mulla, the high participation and excitement of participants clearly shows that, "as Qataris, we are proud to be hosting the World Cup in 2022, and it's our duty to help our country in its success. It has always been a dream for us to be a part of it."