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Abdullah Bin Zayed visits national football team

MANAMA - Shaikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Foreign Minister, today attended training drills by the UAE national football team at Bahrain’s Al-Najma Club stadium in Manama and met the management, the technical staff and members of the team which is taking part in the 21st Gulf Cup of Nations.

Shaikh Abdullah emphasized that sports in the UAE are backed by President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan. He noted that achievements by the national teams are satisfactory to Sheikh Khalifa and the people of the UAE.

He stressed that the national football team, in particular, is backed by His Highness Shaikh Khalifa, as an incentive for it to make more achievements.

He noted that all national teams came to Bahrain to make the 2013 Gulf Cup of Nations a success, regardless of who would win.

In attendance at the drills run by coach Mahdi Ali, the technical manager of the team were chairman of the board of Al Ain Club, Sheikh Abdullah Bin Mohammed Bin Khalid Al-Nahyan, , ambassador of the UAE to Bahrain, Mohammed Sultan Al-Suwaidi, and other officials.

Contributing to the success of the championship is the major aim of the national teams who then seek to vie for the title of the tournament, according to Sheikh Abdullah who added that “Gulf sports events create competition and at the same time provides rapprochement among us all. There are no differences among the peoples of Gulf states. We all have the same nature and we all love each other. This is one of the aims of this big sports event.”

He praised the team’s coach Mahdi Ali for leaving his clear imprint on the team and helping create its special character. Though the Gulf Cup is important, championships in general are basically aimed at creating teams that are able to engage in continental and international competitions, he further noted.

Shaikh Abdullah also praised the media and the crowds of supports who came to Bahrain to back the national team which will face Kuwait in the semi-final game of the 21st Gulf Cup of Nations on Tuesday.