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Abu Dhabi’s young street soccer stars came together to celebrate the culmination of the latest Streetkings Football Academy in the UAE capital during a a fast-paced, exciting tournament at the Dome@Rawdhat.
Hasan Halawi, a 16 year old American, edged out 15-year-old Sudanese Mohammed El Sanhouri to win the under-17 category.
Not prepared to let the boys grab all the limelight, ten-year old German girl Bayan Shalabi was one of the top performers in the under-12 category, eventually losing out to 12-year-old UAE national Sultan Al Hameli.
The latest six-week Streetkings programme at the Dome@Rawdhat, Abu Dhabi’s landmark air conditioned indoor football arena on Airport Road, taught budding street soccer players ball control, beat moves, positioning and highly-skilled passing.
The exciting end-of-season tournament featuring intense two-minute one on-one games, allowed the players to show off all the street soccer skills they learnt throughout the programme.
Streetkings was founded by Edward van Gils, the ‘godfather’ of street football and the world’s most famous street soccer star. A former player at Dutch league side AZ Alkamar, van Gils is a cult figure because of his awe-inspiring abilities to effortlessly manipulate a football in a flamboyant show of control, imagination and showmanship.
Van Gils and his colleague Izzy Hitman worked closely with fellow Dutchman Khalid Hamdaoui, a former professional footballer at AFC Ajax and Dundee FC and now full time coach at the Dome@Rawdhat, to deliver the academy sessions in the UAE.
A new summer course is now open for registration offering children an ideal holiday activity and a chance to escape the heat while still being active. Taking place every Thursday throughout June inside the Dome@Rawdhat, the under-12 sessions will run from 3:45pm to 4:45pm and the under-17s from 5:00pm to 6:00pm.
Starting on Thursday 7 June, the month-long programme costs AED300 for a package of four sessions, or AED80 per individual session and is open to boys and girls over the age of six and of all abilities. Iyad Noor and Mubarak Abdulla were the two lucky winners who won free places during the end of season tournament and both will look to further hone their street soccer skills among friends at the Streetkings Summer Camp.
The Streetkings have now set up a permanent home in Abu Dhabi in response to the popularity of the sport among UAE residents. Street soccer has taken off around the world, and van Gils has appeared in major brand television commercials with famous footballers such as Ronaldinho and Ruud van Nistelrooy. Edward Van Gils and the Streetkings all star team are also featured in the latest FIFA Street 4 game which was released last month by EA sports.
The Dome@Rawdhat was built by Reem Investments to create a vibrant sporting community at the gateway to Abu Dhabi. The area has become a magnet for players of all ages, currently hosting more than 18,000 footballers and their families every month on its indoor and outdoor pitches. It is also home to the hugely successful Manchester United Soccer Schools which launched in the capital in October 2010.
For live, up to date information follow the Streetkings UAE on Twitter, @streetkingsuae, or like them on www.facebook.com/StreetkingsUAE now. To register for the new summer course, visit www.thedome.ae or call 02 4470 754
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