In an all-Sharjah final, Al Kamal American School overcame Al Shoala School 3-1 to clinch the second phase of the ‘Stars of Tomorrow’ league title.
– Brighton College's standout athletes recognised at annual Sports Awards
– #Quiz360: WIN Vivitar Action Camera worth AED 700
Having overcome a tough group and two knock-out stages, the winners were made to work for their victory after Al Shoala put on a spirited performance.
With the young players showcasing their talent on a specially-built turf at Dubai Mall’s ice-rink, matches were closely-fought and provided plenty of entertainment for the spectators.
Organised by Axiom and Ahdaaf, the tournament offered young footballers an opportunity to gain nationwide recognition as well as receive support to achieve their ambition of becoming professional footballers in the UAE.
The event attracted 16 schools from Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah, who qualified for the second phase after impressing in the first leg of the competition in April.
And Faisal Al Bannai, CEO of Axiom, was delighted by what he saw in the five-a-side tournament.
“At Axiom, we are eager to find the leaders of tomorrow from all walks of life,” he said.
“The passion and skill we observed during the second phase of the ‘Stars of Tomorrow’ football league illustrated the great potential of today’s youth in becoming athletic ambassadors of the UAE.”
And Anas Bukhash, managing partner of Ahdaaf Sports Club, echoed Al Bannai’s views, adding: “It was great seeing ‘Stars of Tomorrow’, a concept we built at Ahdaaf, finally come to life and being the first pan-emirate football league in the UAE joining both public and private schools in one competition.”
He added: “A thank you must go to our partners Axiom and our team at Ahdaaf for running the whole project and making it a successful reality.
Finally, I’d like to also thank our supporting partners Dubai Sports Council and KHDA for their support.”
Nithya and Aarya lead Millennium heroics in the pool
The Millennium School (TMS) reigned supreme as both their boys and girls teams triumphed at the JSS International School Swimming Gala.
At JSS International School, Dubai, TMS put on some strong performances at the one-day event in various disciplines including the backstroke, freestyle and individual medley.
Following some thrilling races in the pool, the Dubai-based school accumulated enough points to top the competition, which attracted a total of eight teams.
Among the winners for TMS were Nithya Viswanathan and Aarya Lakshminarayanan, who were crowned champions in the Under-10 and Under-14 category for girls.
For the boys, Abhay Fabian Kumar and Aakash Deep Singh took individual gold in the Under-14 and Under-12 categories, respectively.
Executive principal Michael Guzder praised both coaches and the pupils for their efforts.
He said: “This is yet another feather in the cap for our coaches who have worked hard with the students to make sure they perform extremely well in all competitions they take part in, including national and international events.
“The Millennium School is proud of the achievement of our students and the honour they bring their families and our school.”