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Dubai Sports Council hosts Dubai International Football Academies Forum

Dubai Sports Council hosted the Dubai International Football Academies Forum over two days from 1st-2nd June 2013 at the Inter Continental Hotel Dubai Festival City, inviting many esteemed guests to discuss the ways to develop the performance of academies and youth football in the UAE.

The opening day of the forum saw Jean Michel Benezet of FIFA and Ioan Lupescu of UEFA speak about the FIFA Youth Development Programs and the UEFA Elite Youth Player Development schemes, with former Spain and Real Madrid star Michel Salgado also offering his insights on the topic. The forum then turned its attention to the role of science in the development of youth players, the role of sports schools in supporting football academies and the social responsibilities of football academies, with expert speakers from Europe to enlighten the audience. Dubai clubs then took part in a workshop to present their youth development programs, with participation from Al Shabab, Al Ahli, Al Wasl, Al Nasr, Dubai, and Hatta Football Academies.

The second day of the Dubai International Football Academies Forum began with an address from Mr. Takafumi Yamaguchi, Technical Director of the Japan Football Association, who explained the system of Japanese youth development and the great progress Japan has made in recent years, evident in both the standard of the J-League and the national teams, and stressed the long-term importance of grassroots development. This was followed by an informative and interactive lecture by Ms. Michelle Chai, Technical & Competitions Director at the Pro League Committee, who highlighted the PLC’s Club Licensing criteria in relation to youth development at all the UAE’s professional football clubs, whereby an approved Youth Development Plan is one of the criteria required to be granted a Club License. Ms. Chai stated that the objective of the PLC’s Club Licensing is to increase and improve youth development and use football to change lives, adding that planning and continuity are essential for a successful youth development program.

Rashed Amer, head coach of the UAE U17 National Team, Talal Al Hashimi, Director of Technical at Abu Dhabi Sports Council, Abdullah Bukhater of Sharjah Sports Council and Ali Omar, Sports Corporations Department Director at Dubai Sports Council presented and discussed local youth development programs specific to the UAE, touching on the FIFA U17 World Cup to be hosted in the UAE in October and November of this year, as well as international tie-ups with the academies of Inter Milan, Valencia and Manchester City. The two-day forum was concluded by a discussion between Argentinian football legend Diego Maradona, Ambassador for Dubai Sports Council, and internationally renowned coach Sven-Göran Eriksson, Technical Director of Al Nasr Club, in which the pair drew on their wealth of worldwide footballing experience to make suggestions and observations about the development of youth football in the UAE.