JEDDAH — Ford Middle East has announced its partnership with Football Five's World Championship (F5WC) to bring this global initiative to Dubai for the first time. F5WC aims for mass participation amongst amateur football players, who play in 5-a-side games for fun whilst bringing together countries to celebrate the beautiful game. The championship kicked off earlier this year with knockout games in 32 participating countries across 6 continents. And with 100,000 amateur teams from around the globe having taken part in a 6-month-long exciting qualifying campaign, 32 finalist teams will fight it off for the title on June 13 and 14 at the Dubai World Trade and Convention Center, courtesy of Ford Middle East. Football analysts say the Middle East and Asia are the future of Football with more younger amateurs and active players than ever, and Ford wants to be part of this promising rise of football and sports in general in the Middle East, according to Paul Anderson, Ford Middle East's Director of Marketing. “Ford believes in the universal language of football to instill values in the youth and to help them in their development, be it on the pitch or in their communities,” he said. “Through football, the youth can learn a number of positive values, such as loyalty, commitment, teamwork, and respect for others.” As the F5WC finals bring 32 of the best 5-a-side teams from around the globe to one venue, multiple scouts from Manchester United, Real Madrid, Chelsea, Liverpool, Barcelona, Hamburg and Juventus are expected to attend the finals. Hosting the F5WC in Dubai is in line with the Dubai Sports Council's mandate to provide a comprehensive sports environment as well as pave the way for the youth to cultivate their sporting and cultural talents and aptitudes in a way that leads them to achieving national, regional, and international tangible results. The F5WC is not just a football competition but also a fun weekend for the whole family. There will be half time entertainment from football freestylers, face painting, Electronic Arts (EA) Sports, a PlayStation4 (PS4) gaming zone, live DJ as well as plenty of giveaways for the crowds. — SG
