The prestigious Hamdan Bin Mohammed International Football Championship kicks off on Friday and will provide audiences with a chance to see the stars of tomorrow strutting their stuff.

Young talents from some of the world’s best clubs will be playing at the Under-17 tournament, including Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund, which runs for 10 days and concludes on April 17.

The sixth staging of the tournament begins with Friday’s opening ceremony at Dubai Police Officers Club – which will be attended by Argentina legend Diego Maradona.

Two games kick off the tournament with German giants Dortmund taking on the UAE’s Al Wasl at 16:45, while Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal will take on another UAE side, Hatta, later that evening. Saturday sees Spanish supremos Madrid in action against local side Al Ahli while Brazil’s Internacional face Dubai’s Al Nasr.

With four local sides pitting their wits against some of the great names of the game, tournament director Ahmad Salin believes the UAE clubs’ youngsters have a fantastic chance to develop their own skills.

“I think this is a very good opportunity for our players, managers and coaches to participate in this tournament to gain experience and play against the best teams in the world,” said Salin. “It is very good for the national team and the clubs to prepare them, because 17 is a very important age for any player.

“It’s the age when you see whether they will grow and develop or not into a better player. It’s also a good opportunity for the audience and for all people who like football to see the best young talents of the world. A lot of famous players have played in this championship.

“We have invited the best teams in Europe and from around the world, including Asia and the Dubai clubs.”

Apart from the joy of seeing the next generation in action, Salin said the opening ceremony will provide entertainment even for non-football fans.

“Diego Maradona will be there at the opening ceremony and there will be lots of gifts and raffles on offer for the audience, like televisions and phones, as well as coupons for Skydive Dubai who are one of the event sponsors. There’s a lot on offer for the audience,” he said.

The tournament gets underway with the opening ceremony taking place at 16:00 followed by two matches. It will conclude on April 17 with the third and fourth-place play-off and the final.

VENUE: Dubai Police Officers Club
WHAT: Hamdan Bin Mohammed International Football Championship
WHEN: April 8-17
VERDICT: If you’re a fan of football at any level, get yourself down to the 10-day tournament to see some of the upcoming teenage stars from the world’s most famous clubs, as well as a fair sprinkling of Emirati talent from the UAE clubs.
CONTACT: Visit www. dubaisportscouncil.ae