As part of Dubai Sports Council’s efforts to attract & scout sports talents and according to Dubai Government’s policy to support talents in various fields, DSC has announced the launch of the “Football Talent Development Centers in Dubai Clubs for the age groups from 12 to 17 years old. 

The announcement comes within the framework of the gatherings & tryouts, which were held from 27th to 30th May 2024 to boost talented players’ abilities and to provide them with further opportunities to acquire new experiences, as they represent the brilliant future of Dubai clubs during the upcoming seasons. In this regard, 120 talented players from Dubai clubs were subject to an intensive program including several technical, physical & psychological tryouts.

By the end of the tryouts, selection was made for the best 75 players with a possibility to add further distinctive talents. Players were distributed into three training centers as per their age categories as follows: players in the age category from 12 to 13 years old will train at the Talents Development Center in Al-Wasl Club, while players from 14 to 15 years old will train at Shabab Al-Ahli Club Center and players from 16 to 17 years old will train at Al-Nasr Club Center.

These tryouts will continue during the next sports season to supply the talents development centers with the best players, with conducting camps including intensive trainings & matches besides theoretical and practical awareness lectures, in addition to physical trainings, to be held under supervision of academies’ technical managers and in collaboration with partners in both public & private sectors.

Mr. Ahmed Al-Dalil Al-Rumaithi, Al-Nasr Football Academy’s Manager, welcomed the hosting of the players of 16 – 17 years old category at the Talents Development Center in Al-Nasr Club. He thanked DSC, participating clubs & technical supervisors toward their great efforts to launch this fruitful initiative, which contributes to the naming of outstanding players & recruiting them into the first team besides supplying of national teams with best talents.  

Mr. Hisham Poumbar, Technical Manager of Hatta Football Academy, explained that the sports talents gathering program comprises various training sessions, including playing in tight spaces & under pressure to measure the speed level of players’ reaction. The program also contains physical tryouts, held under supervision of the Sportify Academy. Mr. Hisham confirmed that the participation of talented players in joint trainings with each other helps them to accelerate developing & improving their levels.   

Mr. Wael Al-Sisi, the Technical Manager of Shabab Al-Ahli Academy, referred that the talents training center program for the age category from 14 to 15 years old aims to attain clear goals and to meet short, medium & long terms policy to develop players in different playing positions, with focusing on individual trainings, developing players’ level and creating a profile for each player. The program also follows players’ needs periodically for the sake of performance development. 

Dr. Sajad Karami, Director of Sportify Physical Measurements Academy, thanked DSC for launching this leading initiative to organize sports talents development centers, expressing pleasure as the Sportify Academy is part of this initiative. In this regard, physical tryouts and readiness tests were conducted for players including strength, speed, flexibility, balance & immediate reaction, aiming to decide points of strength & weakness. It is according to these tryouts, players of top level of readiness in the age groups from 12 to 17 years old were specified. Dr. Sajad affirmed optimism toward the results to be attained by these players in the future.  

Mr. Patrick Houdrick, Technical Manager of Al Wasl Football Academy, confirmed the remarkable success of training sessions for the talents group in the age of 12 to 13 years old, referring that technical classification of players and increasing of challenge between them are among the motivating factors that encouraged them to present distinctive performance. He referred to the remarkable success & excellence of the initiative and confirmed the importance of the continuity of organizing such gatherings during the next sports season.