Sharjah’s popular indoor football tournament organised during the Holy Month, is back for its fourth annual edition. A total of 12 professional and six amateur teams in the under-14 age group category will compete for the title of the fourth edition of the Sharjah Ramadan Futsal Championship (SRFC), slated to take place from May 8-19, at the Sharjah Sports Club’s indoor stadium in Al Hazana.

The tournament is organised by the Sharjah Sports Channel, and is held under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Crown Prince and Deputy Ruler of Sharjah.

The professional teams will play in a four-group futsal knockout competition, and the six junior sides, which are clubbed in two groups, will compete in a head-to-head format. The grouping of teams was revealed by SRFC Technical Committee during a tournament draw.

The SRFC 2019 Organising Committee has announced cash prizes for the place holders of the tournament. The top team in the senior championship will take home an AED 200,000 cash prize, and the runners-up will be awarded AED100,000.

In the under-14 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.

Team groupings

The professional team groupings are as follows. Group A features ‘Al Mufaja’a’, ‘Sharjah Police’ and ‘Fuhood Al Zabeel’; Group B is made up by teams, Leader Sport, Al Embrator and Al Burkan; and Al Hamriya, A.I Global and Al Wahdan make up Group C. Finally, the three teams that will represent Group D are, Sport 4 All, Al Shabab and Khorfakkan.

The two groups that make up the under-14 contingent are Sport 4 All, Rich Target and Quattro – in Group A; Al Hamriya, Tamim Group and Wasit Youth in Group B.

Rashid Al Obaid: SRFC has gained in popularity and prestige in local sports circles

Rashid Al Obaid, Director of Sharjah Sports Channel and SRFC Manager, stressed that the tournament has gained in popularity and prestige in local sports circles, being a unique platform for both professionals and young aspiring footballers to showcase their talent at a world-class competition.

He said: “SRFC pumps fresh talent into local football clubs and the national team. The aim of this indoor football championship is to offer our athletes a platform to come together and practice a sport that embodies unity and team spirit – qualities all practicing Muslims try to enhance during Ramadan. It is a great way of bringing the UAE community together too, to enjoy one of the nation’s favourite sport.”

He continued “The tournament is a true reflection that local sports have come a long way in their developmental journey; particularly indoor soccer, which has been gaining tremendous momentum to become a regional and global sporting phenomena. We focus every effort into the individual development of players, and hope this year’s edition will meet the aspirations of both our competitors and our loyal audiences.”

Daily prizes for spectators

To make the SRFC experience even more enjoyable for spectators, valuable prizes including smart phones, tablets, free air travel and gift vouchers will be given away to the audience throughout the 12-day tournament. Daily draws for instant cash prizes will also be held during matches.

A stellar cast of football celebrities and other sporting professionals, famous artists and social media influencers,  and an impressive selection of distinguished guests have been invited to the tournament – all of whom the spectators will have the chance to meet and interact with.

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.