History of Soccer in the UAE

 

 

History of Soccer in the UAE

Soccer (or football) holds the leading position in the UAE today. It becomes more and more popular every year, receiving a large number of followers among men and women. The UAE welcomes the multitude of visitors annually due to the soccer games. It happens several times a year and provides fans with pleasure to observe games of various local, regional and international teams. Luckily, both amateurs and professional players can benefit from some developed facilities delivered by public and private institutions. Nowadays, many programs promote soccer from the school level. Thus, players at the age groups of 12, 14, 16, 18 and 20 get the chance to show their skills on the field. This particular status of soccer is a progress since this kind of sport is rather young in the UAE comparing to other countries. This work will try to track the origins of soccer in the UAE and its main development stages.

 

Historically, sporting activities in the UAE have always been falconry, the traditional boat racing, and horse and camel racing. Arabs learned about football from Europeans. In particular, British soldiers were the ones who started playing soccer with local teams on rough grounds. Arabs were quick learners. They adopted this new game with lightning speed. The other contributors to the rapidspread of soccer were the young Arabs who returned home from their studies abroad. Their promotion of the European soccer was so strong that the game spread all around the country. Though the game was rather disordered at the beginning, it became more regular and organized after the formation of football clubs in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah. Since then, soccer has gained more significance and greater popularity among the UAE population. The United Arab Emirates was established as a country in 1971. That same year the national Football Association (UAE FA‎) was established. The next year it affiliated to FIFA (Federation International de Football Association). In two years, the country joined the Asian Football Confederation and the Union of Arab Football. By the way, Sheikh Mubarak Bin Mohammad Al Nahyan became the first President of the Football Association of  the United Arab Emirates.

 

Since its appearance, the UAE National Team acquired many achievements. It became now a matter of national pride for the native and non-native population of the UAE. The first achievement was the attendance at the 2nd Gulf Cup of Nations (Khaleeji) held in Riyadh in 1972. It was the first major tournament for the team. In a few years, the UAE National Team won its first official competition team against Qatar. In 1980, the country entered the Asian Cup, and the next decade the UAE entered the World Cup in Italy. The UAE team was the Asian Cup runner-up in 1996, Champions of Gulf Cup in 2007 and Silver Medalists of the Asian Games in 2010. The UAE young generation also has a number of accomplishments. The national youth team qualified for the different FIFA World Cups in 1991, 1997, and 2003 accordingly.

 

In the course of time, several football events have established in the UAE on the annual basis. These include UAE Pro League, Etisalat Cup, President’s Cup, and UAE Super Cup. The UAE Pro League (UAE Football League) is the top football competition at the state level. It was established in 1973. Now, the most successful team to date is Al Ain FC. The capital of United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi, is famous for its tournaments. These include Al Ain Football Tournament and Abu Dhabi Sports Council Football League. The Abu Dhabi Sports Council (ADSC) organizes these events. Other Abu Dhabi tournaments comprise the Abu Dhabi Amateur Football League, and the first official amateur football league in Abu Dhabi for men, women, corporates and juniors under 12 and 14 held at the Dome@Rawdhat. The latter is a football and sporting facility with indoor and outdoor trainings for all comers.  

           

Since 1982, the United Arab Emirates has often acted as host for international football events. It hosted the Gulf Cup in 1982, 1994 and 2007, and the AFC Asian Cup in 1996. The country successfully hosted the FIFA Club World Cup in 2009 and in 2010. Besides, the UAE staged the FIFA U-20 World Cup in 2003 and the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup in 2009.

Modern Abu Dhabi and Emirates football clubs are Al Ain, Al Wahda, Al Jazira, Baniyas, and Al Dhafra. Al Ain set up in 1968. It is the nine-time champion of the UAE Pro League. Besides football, the club has expanded to basketball, volleyball, handball, athletics, swimming and other sports. Al Jazira Club was founded in 1974. It took the champion’s awards in different tournaments in 2007 and 2011. Al Wahda Club founded in 1984. It won the UAE Pro League title in 1999, 2001, 2005 and 2010. Baniyas Club started in 1981 and became champions of President's Cup in 1992. Al Dhafra Club is the youngest UAE club. It was set up in 2000. Women’s football in Abu Dhabi was represented by a women’s football league of young girls.

 

To conclude, traditional sports remain popular with the newer ones in the UAE. Thus, falconry, horse and camel racing peacefully coexist with football. Country population is loyal to UAE football teams. More and more people want to join football teams to bring glory to their country. These people are both men and women. Therefore, there are good chances that football will remain one of the most popular UAE sports in the future.

 

 

 

References

United Arab Emirates-History &Background. (2013). Retrieved from www.StateUniversity.com.

Football in the UAE. (2013). Retrieved from https://www.abudhabi.ae/egov.

 

 

Pictures

Healthy Lifestyle

LSS 3003 Sports, Leisure and Society

Healthy Lifestyle

Done By: Ali Ismaeel Al Hosani (H00233002)

Said Abdulla Al Naqbi (200129201)

Faris Jasim Al Hammadi (H00215037)

Section: CJH

Marcus Valerius Martialis, a Latin poet from Hispania, once said, “Life is not merely being alive, but being well.” Being well is what most people are looking for. There are simple and small steps which will lead to the right direction. To be well, it is described as having a healthy lifestyle. It is keeping and improving people’s health. There are three major and key ways to have a healthy lifestyle. First and most importantly, most people agree that foods and drinks are playing a big role for being healthy. Secondly, regular exercises maintain and improve health. Thirdly, relaxing the body is needed also by several techniques. There is a big difference between the healthy life in the past and nowadays. Years ago, there were no experiences and improvements on how to be healthy. There was a bit but not as much as today. This report will give a brief description of how healthy life was before and these days.

A long time ago, especially in the United Arab Emirates, there was not much experience on how to have a healthy lifestyle. Before the discovery of oil, this country was not improved. It was a desert country full of sand. The people here didn’t have ideas about living a good life. For example, the people were eating food and didn’t know much information about it because there was no one to lead and explain to them. As for nowadays, there are many food centers, Dr. Nutrition and even the technology to search for healthy and unhealthy food. Aside from that, sports were played here and at first it was like they had to do it for living such as diving for pearl or fishing and desert hunting by dogs or falcons. Nowadays these sports are like hobbies for them such as camel racing, horse riding and diving. Before, they didn’t have gymnasiums or fitness centers where they can exercise regularly. As this country improved, more and more sports became popular and the facilities have developed. On the other hand, there were no persons that have experience in sports like trainers and coaches. So people were lost and didn’t know what or how to do sports. After this country has developed in the past years and became a rich country, the sports separated among the cities such as football, cricket, golf, tennis and rugby. Yet, horse riding is still the most popular in the UAE. Horse racing facilities can be found in the Equestrian Clubs found in the main cities of the UAE. Dubai also hosts the yearly horse race, which is the richest horse race in the world.

The most important step in having a healthy lifestyle is to have healthy food and drinks. The food we take will build our health and body whether in a good or bad way. It depends on what we choose to eat. There is healthy and unhealthy food. Healthy food is an explanation of food nutritionally balanced. Nutritionally balanced foods have the capability to deliver needed nutrients such as vitamins, minerals and proteins which can give energy. Examples of healthy food are fruits and vegetables. It is recommended to take at least five fruits or vegetables every day. They contain vitamins and minerals which will help to avoid any health problems. In addition, protein is also important for the body. Examples of good proteins are fishes, eggs and lean meat. Moreover, there are also healthy drinks that should be taken daily. Water is significant; it should be drink too a lot. Other drinks such as fresh juices and milk which contains calcium that is needed to strengthen our bones and teeth. It is advised to use food over supplements. They are not a substitute for a good diet. Some supplements contain toxicity, reactions with medications and increased risk of diseases such as cancer, heart disease and diabetes. On the other hand, unhealthy food or junk food has high amounts of calories, sodium, saturated and trans fats. These might lead to diseases, diabetes and obesity. Some examples of unhealthy food are burgers, hotdogs, ice creams, chocolates, pizzas and fries. Also, sodas and wine are very bad. Aside from that, even though smoking is not considered as food, it is bad.

Edward Smith Stanley, three times prime minister of the United Kingdom, once said “Those who do not find time for exercise will have to find time for illness.” Exercising is also another significant factor or way to stay healthy and live well. If exercise was a pill, it would be the most cost-effective drug invented in the world. Exercising benefits people when they’re young and even after they get old by keeping up their strength and fitness. There are several benefits of exercising regularly. It controls your weight and prevents you from being obese or thin. It fights health conditions, diseases and improves mood. If someone is worried about his health and wishes to prevent high blood pressure then go for exercise. It releases pressure and strain after being in a stressful day. Exercise will boost energy and keep you strong. It also helps for better sleep. It puts the spark back into your sex life by preventing you from feeling too tired and out of shape. Exercising will make your face and body look much better and younger. In addition, it can be fun spending time outdoors and having fun by engaging in activities and sports that make you happy. Paul Dudley White, an American Physician, said “A vigorous five-mile walk will do more good for an unhappy but otherwise healthy adult than all the medicine and psychology in the world.”

As for good exercising, there steps to do it for better performance. To begin with, usually start exercising by stretching your muscles and do so again after you finish. This will warm up the muscles before you start the working and will relax the muscles after you finish. Secondly, participate in a gymnasium three times minimum and five times maximum per week. Divide these days into cardio to stay fit and lifting to strengthen your body by special programs. While lifting weights, be careful and watch out because it might cause injuries. Stay away from over self-confidence when lifting heavy weights and do what your body potential can give. Thirdly, you can take your pet for a walk in the neighborhood. Keep moving in a moderate speed for normal timing in between 30 minutes to 90 minutes. Moreover, enjoy rigorous daily activities such as high intensity gardening and housekeeping. These activities will exercise the body for people who don’t go to work and stay at home. Besides that, go for a walk to near destinations. Do not use the car but instead bike to reach the places wanted. This idea has several advantages such as reducing pollution, minimizing traffic, exercising and enjoying. Aside from that, exercise should be done in moderation. Working out too much and can increase the chance of being injured. Take some rest days in between your exercising and workouts.

There is an important factor which is needed for being healthy after having good food and exercising. This aspect is essential and it is like backup for the body. It is relaxation. It can occur after doing an activity or even during normal day timings. It is the medicine to stress which is known to donate to the development of disease. When we relax, our body has a chance to calm down. It slows the heart rate and minimizes blood pressure. It also slows the rate of inhaling which decreases the amount of oxygen. It also increases blood flow to the body and specially the muscles. People experience more energy, better sleep, greater protection, more concentration, better problem-solving abilities, smoother emotions such as less anger and crying and fewer headaches and pains. As for the ways or techniques to relax, there are several ones. For relaxing the body muscles a massage in a spa bath would be great. Taking a shower every other day and shower again if you performed activity that made you sweat. Practice breathing techniques and stretching. On the other hand, the mind can be relaxed by practicing positive thinking; restrain your emotions because it helps find solutions to release stress. Find a quiet place when feeling overcome and sit for several minutes reading a book or novel you like. Listen to soft music or things you would like to hear such as sea waves, birds’ noises and waterfalls. Also spending time with a pet will relax and remove stress. The benefits of relaxation are many.

Bibliography: Sports in the United Arab Emirates [UAE] - TEN Guide. (n.d.). Sports in the United Arab Emirates [UAE] - TEN Guide. Retrieved November 25, 2013, from http://guide.theemiratesnetwork.com/living

15 Easy Ways to Be Healthier. (n.d.). Healthy Green Living, Fitness & Sustainability. Retrieved November 23, 2013, from http://life.gaiam.com/article/15-easy-ways-be-healthier

Healthy and Unhealthy Foods | Tallahassee.com Community Blogs. (n.d.). Healthy and Unhealthy Foods | Tallahassee.com Community Blogs. Retrieved November 23, 2013, from http://blogs.tallahassee.com/community/2013/03/25/healthy-and-unhealthy-foods/

staff, M. (2011, July 23). Exercise: 7 benefits of regular physical activity. Mayo Clinic. Retrieved November 24, 2013, from http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/exercise

How to Live a Healthy Lifestyle. (n.d.). wikiHow. Retrieved November 24, 2013, from http://www.wikihow.com/Live-a-Healthy-Lifestyle

Heart of Healing. (n.d.). Heart of Healing. Retrieved November 25, 2013, from http://heartofhealing.net/relaxation-wellness/benefits-of-relaxation/

Oman

Stephen Michael James Ovett

Stephen Michael James Ovett

Ovett’s event was a middle distance runner. He holds many records in his sports career. He was gold medalist at 1980 Olympic Games for the 800 meters. Also, to this day he has the UK record for 2 miles in 1978. He gave up football because he didn’t want to do a sport where he would have to depend on teammates. At his peak, he was associated with Sebastian Coe from England. After he retired from running, he became a Track & Field television commentator for the CBC. A statue  was erected to him placed in Preston Park, Brighton. He lives now in Australia and he is 57 years old now, will turn 58 in less than a month. His brother, Nicholas Ovett, represented Great Britain in the Winter Olympics in 1988 and 1992. Also, his son Freddy has shown promise as a middle distance runner winning the Pan-Pacific 800 meters title. Finally, my favorite sports personality is the Brazilian Ronaldo.

Travel

Last summer I travelled to France with my friends for ten days vacation. We went to the south, Cannes and Saint - Tropez exactly. We had a lot of fun there hanging out near the beaches and nightclubs. We also arranged a trip in a boat which lasted for almost five hours. There were too many Arabic people there who met and stayed together having lunch or dinner. We had a great time and this was one of my best travels I've been in. I hope we could do it one more time.