A glamorous new edition of Sharjah’s Ramadan Futsal Championship (SRFC) organised by Sharjah Sports TV kicked off yesterday (Wednesday), with an opening ceremony reminiscent of the world football championships.

The championship is held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Deputy Ruler of Sharjah. The current edition features 12 senior squads in four groups and six U14 teams in two groups to battle it out for the championship title until May 19, at the Sharjah Sports Club Arena Al Hazana Branch.

The opening ceremony literally began with a bang, with a dazzling laser show and dance performance, which was a throwback to the world’s major sporting championships. The Sharjah Sports Channel also hosted a special performance to celebrate the nomination of Sharjah as ‘the World Book Capital 2019’.

The opening ceremony was attended by Sheikh Saqr Bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Chairman of the Sharjah Sports Council; Sheikh Saud bin Abdulaziz Al Mualla, Chairman of the Sharjah Cultural and Chess Club; His Excellency Mohamed Hassan Khalaf, Director General of Sharjah Broadcasting Authority (SBA); His Excellency Tariq Saeed Allay, Director of Sharjah Government Media Bureau; His Excellency Hassan Yaqoub Al Mansouri, Secretary-General of Sharjah Media Council (SMC); Mohsen Musabeh, former goalkeeper of the national team as well as Sharjah Club; and Rashed Al Obaid, Director of Sharjah Sports Channel, along with representatives of government and private entities in Sharjah and local sports personalities.

Fast Beats Sport 4 All

Fast and Sport 4 All played the first match in the U14 category. Fast scored their first goal in the second minute of the first half and the second came just after three minutes. In the second half, Fast continued to control the game, scoring the third goal in the tenth minute. Player Mayed Al Baloushi finished the job with a fourth goal.

Sharjah Police dominate Al Mofaja’a

The competition between Sharjah Police and Al Mofaja’a, newcomer to the championship, was fierce. The game saw successive attacks by both teams. In the 12th minute the Brazilian Lima Thales scored the first goal for his team Al Mofaja’a, but Sharjah Police quickly responded when David Eduardo scored a goal in the same minute.

In the second half, successive attacks resulted in a second goal scored by the Brazilian Alex Da Silva when Miguel Kenji passed him the ball in the third minute. Sharjah Police continued to control the match until the last minute. They earned three points and lead the first group temporarily.

Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi, Chairman of SMC, said that over the years, the championship had gone beyond its amateur status and was now in the class of a professional tournament. It had become a leading Ramadan sport event that is a fixture on the local sporting landscape and attracts promising new talents.

Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi said: “The championship is part of our effort to provide high-quality media content within an integrated media system. The event has seen great success over four years and has become an important sporting platform that brings together top football players from the UAE and beyond during the holy month. The championship supports our objectives of providing the optimal environment for young talents to shine and realise their potential in the sport. We hope this edition will see great success and reflect the development of the sport sector in Sharjah.”

Sheikh Saqr Bin Mohammed Al Qasimi said: “The opening ceremony of the fourth edition was spectacular and proved the capability of Sharjah TV in organising and supporting leading sport events in the emirate by bringing together elite athletes, whether it is emerging talents who can play an important role in shaping the future of the emirate in sports, or professional players who have huge national and global experience. This will contribute to supporting the sports sector with top players.”

Rashed Al Obaid, Director of Sharjah Sports Channel, said: “Year after year, the championship has increased in popularity, attracting not only football fans but also fans of all types of sports. Through the years, the tournament has grown into a must-watch sporting event during Ramadan, offering an important opportunity to discover and invest in young talented footballers. It helps support Futsal, and the local sport sector in general. The level of technical skills is increasing with every edition, which gives us the responsibility to organise even more successful editions in the future.”

On Sunday May 12^th, the championship qualifying games continue with 4 matches beginning from 10:00pm, where Al Embrator faces Al Bahri in Group B and Al Wihdan faces APL Group in Group C. Groups D and A will have Al Shabab versus Khorfakkan teams, and Sharjah Police returns against Fohood Zaabeel respectively.

The SRFC 2019 Organising Committee has announced a cash prize of AED 200,000 for the winning side of the senior leagues, and AED100,000 for the runners-up.

In the U14 category, AED 50,000 will be awarded to the winner and AED 30,000 to the runners-up. Special prizes have also been allotted for the tournament’s most valuable player, highest goal scorer and the best goalkeeper.

Additional prizes allocated by the SRFC 2019 Organising Committee include a series of gift items, cash prizes and live competitions allocated for all visitors, audiences and spectators of all ages. This comes as part of the committee’s recognition for their dedication and support in turning the tournament into one of the most popular sporting events during the Holy Month.

Sharjah Sports Channel was launched in 2007 under the umbrella of the Sharjah Media Corporation (SMC), as a specialised and independent sports platform to provide media and field coverage of an array of local, regional and international sporting events, tournaments and championships, such as Sharjah Sports Desert Festival (SSDF), which is organised annually by the channel.

The channel also provides special coverage for a number of local sporting events, including the Arab Women Sports Tournament (AWST), the annual Sharjah Grand Prix -the final round of the UIM F1 Powerboat World Championship, Sharjah International Cycling Tour, Belgian Football League, and other local, Arab and international sporting competitions.