fourteen i s s u e 0 15
STEP UP Fahad Al Musallam talks exclusively to Fourteen
a u g 01 2018
08 01 2018
the sports journal
F EAT U R ES
WARM-UP 04
of the month
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recap
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Fourteen’s selection of the month
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World Jet Ski Champion M. Burbayea sets a Guinness World Record
some history
Ahmad Al Traboulsi: a jack of many trades and master of all
news
Kuwait national athletics team finishes 3rd in the West Asian Athletics Championship 2018
Front Cover, Above: Jalil Marvin
i s s u e 015
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step up
Fahad Al Musallam joins the Red Bull family. With a resumé filled with regional championships and a flourishing career in the horizons, we had a sit down with Al Musallam to get to know his story.
for a change
Raba’a and Rawya talk to Fourteen about changing the game and moving toward equality - resolving a storm of factors that keep women from reaching their full athletic potential in Kuwait.
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RECOVERY 33
sport science
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uaak
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highlight
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the event
Faisal Al Shawa offers advice when seeking a nutritionist for help AOU double down on gold by winning the UAAK men’s volleyball and futsal league The Kuwait Amateur League in collaboration with Li3ib Women’s Football Tournament 3.0
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OF THE MONTH
NUMBER OF THE MONTH
135 Kuwaiti rider Ali Al Khorafi snatched first place in the 135cm high jump category of the Zuidwolde International Equestrian Competition held in the Netherlands. Al Kharafi was followed by Harry Wearing from the Netherlands and Alex Jil from the UK.
TWEET OF THE MONTH “Even in sports we are surprised by the many doctorate degrees that are attained by athletes overnight ...their degrees are fake, but they graduate with honors. I
hope they throw their certificates in the sea quickly and act like they never had one.” @abdulredha3224 - Abdulredha Abbas - 20/7/2018
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QUOTE OF THE MONTH Decision-makers in sports institutions have instilled negative managerial norms until it has become custom to reject change and development.” Professor Hamed Majed Al Ajmi
FLOP OF THE MONTH Al Salmiya Club was deducted 3 points from the Kuwait VIVA football league after losing a court case in FIFA to German coach Wolfgang Rolff who sued the club for not receiving his wages.
TOP OF THE MONTH Salsabeel Al Sayyar is this month’s top of the month. Al Sayyar won the gold medal in javelin and a bronze medal in the hurdles competition of the West Asian Athletics Championship.
Left: Courtesy of Salsabeel Al Sayyar
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RECAP
M. Burbayea sets new Guinness World Record
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ed Bull athlete and water s p o r t s ex t ra o rd i n a i re , Mohammad Burbayea, has set a new Guinness World Record for the highest number of IJSBA World Championship wins by a male. In the span of ten years, between 2007 and 2017, Burbayea was able to achieve an impressive 21 championships by the International Jet Sports Boating Association, all before the age of thirty. The International Jet Sports Boating Association is the official governing body for personal watercraft competitive racing, fostering fair competition by formulating and promoting uniform rules and safety standards. On March 21, the Guinness World Records celebrated Burbayea’s renowned feat in Kuwait by awarding him with the official title as the Guinness World Record holder,
Courtesy of RedBull.com
with fans and media in attendance. Burbayea received his Guinness Certificate from Ahmad Jamal Jaber. Speakers at the event included Deputy Minister of Youth, Sheikha Al Zain Al-Sabah, Deputy Ministry of Affairs, Mahmoud Al Dosari, Lieutenant Fahad Al Fahad, General Manager of the Public Authority of Sport, Dr. Hamoud Al Shimmari, Public Relations Manager of Al Hamra Tower, Abdullah Al Mansour and, last but not least, the guest of the honor, Mohammad Burbayea. “ Today I have achieved something that was beyond my dreams and that is holding a Guinness World Record and earning a sense of pride for my country. I dedicate this achievement to His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and His Highness the Crown Prince
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“ To d a y I h a v e achieved something that seemed beyond m y d r e a m s .” Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, my family and all the people who supported my professional career”. For Burbayea, whether it is championships on a regional or global level, bringing worldwide recognition to his home country is what makes him the proudest of his achievements.
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SOME HISTORY
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Ahmad Al Traboulsi
hey called him the trustworthy goalie, not only for his ability to defend the net of his team, putting their mind at ease while they played, but also because he was known for his melodious voice and his religious persona. Ahmad Al-Traboulsi rose with the wings of creativity, whilst the gazes of his fans followed. Firstly, when he protected the net of The National Team in 1972 when Kuwait won the Gulf cup and again in 1974, when he didn’t allow
DEUTSCH Jean-Claude | Getty Images
a single football to enter his net, holding the title until 2009. This is when he became notable to the GCC and the Arab world and a role model to many athletes and colleagues. Secondly, when he showed he was a jack of all trades by also being the first Kuwaiti to record the Quran in his voice in 1992 and drove the hearts of his listeners to humbleness. Additionally, he was a military officer in the Kuwaiti army. “Traboulsi was always reading the Quran. On the bus especially, on the way to the matches.
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He was one of the best goalkeepers in the Arab world, on an international level even. He has good timing, good physical stamina, and good reflexes. We as players, knowing he is behind us, relax because we feel like we have a dam behind us.” said Kuwaiti football legend Jassim Yacoub in a documentary called “A day in the life of the reader”. When Traboulsi retired in 1983, he continued to coach football until 1995 and encouraged the youth to prosper. He proved to be a jack of many trades, and a master of all.
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NEWS
Kuwait finish 3 rd West Asian Championship The Athletic delegation placed second for men and third for women in the competition
gold medals: • Yacoub Al Yohha in the 110 meters hurdles • Khaled Al-Subaie in the triple jump • Meshari Sorour in shot put • Mohammed Al-Jawhar in the men’s hammer throw • Hamid Al-Salim in the 400 hurdles • Majid Al-Zaid in the Decathlon • Abdullah Alaraki in Pole vaulting • Salsabeel Al Sayyar in the javelin
In a statement to Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) on Thursday, the treasurer of the Federation of Athletics Federation (IAAF) praised the performance of the players who received seven gold medals. Al-Ajmi stressed the importance and valuable experience gained by the players participating in regional and continental championships. The Director of the athletics team, Khalid Al-Khalifa praised the Kuwaiti team’s performance and results in the various competitions in the West Asian Championship, expressing satisfaction with the achievements of all the players.
Kuwait received an array of silver and bronze medals in the championship. Ibrahim Al Zafairi and Abdullah Al Murshid received the silver medal in the 800 meters and the long jump, respectively. Additionally, Nadia Al Haqan and Tahreer Al Fadhli received the silver medal in the heptathlon and in the half marathon, respectively.
The tournament was attended by 300 players from 10 countries from West Asia: Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Yemen, Iraq, UAE, Palestine, Oman, Lebanon and Jordan. In the overall standings (men’s and women’s competitions), Kuwait finished third behind Bahrain and Jordan.
Courtesy of Nadia Al Haqqan
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THE MOMENT
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yousef karam (L-R) Spain’s Oscar Husillos, Kuwait’s Yousef Karam, Czech Republic’s Pavel Maslak and Dominican Republic’s Luguelin Santos compete in the men’s 400m round 1 event at the 2018 IAAF World Indoor Athletics Championships at the Arena in Birmingham on March 2, 2018. Adrien Dennis | AFP| Getty Images
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STEP UP
“A N Y T H I N G C A N H A P P E N AT A N Y M O M E N T. �
Q u a d r a c i n g r e g i o n a l g o l d e n b o y j o i n s t h e Re d B u l l a t h l e t i c f a m i l y . An inter view with Fahad Al Musallam
Jalil Marvin
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AL
Musallam is proving to be a national and regional phenomenon. He’s the latest addition to the Red Bull athletes family with several championships under his belt including the FIM Junior Baja World Championship, two-time FIM Baja Dubai Rally, FIM Cross Country Abu Dhabi Rally, three-time Qatar International Endurocross Champion, two-time Bahrain Motocross Champion, and Kuwait Motocross Champion. With a flourishing career in the horizons, we had a sit down with Al Musallam to get to know his story. We could not help but notice the palpable passion in his demeanor. What inspired you to start quad ra c i n g ? I t wa s s o m e t h i n g I ’ve always wanted to do since I got into the sport at a young age, I love competing! Who do you aspire to be like in your discipline? Rafal Sonik, Dakar Rally winner, a six-time FIM Cross Country Rally World Champion. Sonik is a Polish quad rally rider, his perseverance to top the podium at the Dakar Rally inspires me. Following an elimination from the Dakar due to injury, rather than feeling defeated, he came back time and time again to make his dream come true. Who is your mentor and how do they inspire you to achieve your dreams? I have always looked up to fellow Red Bull athletes, Mohammed Al Blooshi and Mohammed Jaffar.
Jalil Marvin
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“. . . b e l i ev i n g i n t h e m s e l ve s p u s h e d m e t o w o r k t w i c e a s h a r d t o r e a c h h e i g h t s t h a t I b e l i eve d w e r e u n a t t a i n a b l e .” They inspire me; simply, by the amount of passion and work they put in order to be the best in their respective disciplines. Sacrificing their “day-to-day jobs” and believing in themselves pushed me to work twice as hard to reach heights that I believed were unattainable. We have developed valuable friendships that allow me to seek their advice and guidance as I continue to grow in the sport. Despite their main discipline is dirt bikes, it is the origin of quad bikes so we have a lot in common when it comes to training, competing and achieving our dreams in this sport.
Jalil Marvin
What goal do you set for yourself in every competition you participate in? First is the ultimate goal of crossing the finish line. Second, is being fast and consistent throughout the complete stage/moto. Third comes the pure enjoyment of the whole experience and imagining a first place finish. What does your regular training schedule look like? This sport requires a lot of training because your fitness plays a huge role in the actual races. To give you an example, closed course races also known as motocross may last up to 20
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minutes, twice a day. Endurocross up to 45 minutes, twice a day. Bajas can require up to 2 hours for 2 days. As for Cross Country, 4 to 5 hours of racing for up to 5-6 days. I have a heavy training schedule before every competition so that it boosts my endurance level and allows me to stay physically and mentally focused for longer periods of time. How do you know where to go and navigate in a rally race? We have a navigational tower installed on our rally prepped Quad bikes that consist of three main components; road book, trip meter, and GPS.
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Jalil Marvin
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A road book is used to read the exact upcoming route and obstacles to overcome and be aware of the danger zones approached at high speeds. It is the most important tool for us, as one misreading can cause time gain and penalties. A trip meter is used to align how far we travel through the road book since the start of the stage. Lastly comes the GPS. It is a device with an arrow pointing towards the upcoming checkpoint and tells us how far the checkpoint is in kilometers. You might think now that is easy, but on the contrary. The arrow disappears during some checkpoints, also known as “masked waypoints”, as the GPS simply turns to numbers of your current compass heading. At this point, we have to manually set the right direction according to the road book given notes. All three components work together and are very important in the world of rally racing. Talk to us about some of the dangers in quad racing . There are many dangerous scenarios in quad racing. For an example, in a closed course race if you miscalculate your speed and technique it may cause you to lose control of the quad-bike. As for the rally races, you can only see as far as you go. As a result, your reflexes and reactions while approaching the unknown terrain need to be very quick in order to maintain control. At the end of the day, it is an extreme sport; anything could happen at any moment. When it comes to riding /racing, make sure it is in the safest way possible and ensure the proper riding gear. What is the most difficult position you were ever in during a race? One time, I raced the final round of an Endurocross Championship with a fractured ankle and almost won the championship with 2 points away, this was the toughest! I have also crashed once on the first lap
Jalil Marvin
“I love riding on dunes, spending a day of riding there brings me the most amount of happiness I could ever ask for!” 17
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Courtesy of Red Bull
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of a 45- min. race, putting me way behind the leader, pushing hard to make it back on top was challenging! Who is your role model in life? Passionate individuals chasing and believing in their dreams are my role models in life. What advice do you have for someone starting out in quad racing? My advice would be to work hard and train as much as possible in order to be the best! What are some of your other hobbies? I like to ride dirt bikes, jet skis, road bikes, fly RC drones and grill steaks. The most thing that makes you happy? I love riding on dunes,
Jalil Marvin
“I dream of winning the Cross-Country Rally World C h a m p i o n s h i p .” spending a day of riding there brings me the most amount of happiness I could ever ask for! Also, the feeling of crossing the finish line first. The most thing that angers you? Having a mechanical issue during a race definitely makes me mad!
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Especially when it’s something so hard to fix on the spot and forces me out of a race. But, I’m very happy to be racing on the sport quads by Yamaha as they provide the best reliable engines and have the most powerful performance in the market. A dream you would like to accomplish in the future? I dream of winning the Cross-Country Rally World Championship. Who would you like to thank? I would like to thank everyone that stood alongside my racing career and supported my journey in such field. The Kuwait Motorsports Club, Red Bull, Yamaha, family and friends have all played a big role in all of my previous accomplishments.
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THE MOMENT
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zaid ashkanani Zaid Ashkanani, Kuwait’s 23-yearold racing driver leading the pack with the MRS GT Racing team in the 25th season of the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup, 2017. Porsche Press
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FOR A CHANGE
FOR A CHANGE E i g h t y Pe r ce n t F o u n d e r s t e l l u s h o w t h e y i n t e n d t o i n s p i r e change in Kuwait through their Active Social Brands An inter view with Raba’a and Rawya Al Hajeri
Jalil Marvin
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ppportunities and coverage o f w o m e n ’s sports haven’t expanded in over 25 years, despite the dramatic increases in the number of girls and women playing sports. Changing the game and moving toward equality in Kuwait requires resolving a storm of factors that keep women from reaching their full athletic potential. Raba’a and Rawya have founded a social organization that combines ‘social reforms and sports management ’. With the aim of contributing positively to the movement towards equality in sports for women and a faster paced development in youth sports, by creating meaningful events and programs that unite organizations with the same vision. They have successfully launched projects that have become househ o l d n a m e s l i ke F i t F o o t b a l l , Experience Adventure, and the Wo m e n ’s Fo o t b a l l To u r n a m e nt (WFT). They continue to empower Kuwaiti youth & women through their collaborative efforts with Local & International organizations like LaLiga, Nike, Ministry of youth, Public Authority of Sports, to name a few, to bring about much needed change to the community in which they operate.
W H AT W A S T H E P U R P O S E A N D I N S P I R AT I O N B E H I N D EIGHTY PERCENT? The purpose is to instigate and contribute to positive change in society, but what really inspired eighty percent is wanting an entity that cares about what matters, and rallies up the troops so to speak towards a common goal that empowers as well as help build a more aware generation
Jalil Marvin
“A s o c i a l o r g a n i z a t i o n t h a t combines social reforms with s p o r t s m a n a g e m e n t .” 25
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“ We f o u n d e d E i g h t y Pe r c e n t w i t h t h e s l o g a n ‘c o l l a b o ra t i n g f o r a c h a n g e’. T h i s , t o u s , d e f i n e s b r i d g i n g t h e g a p . . .” through sports. Why wait for change when you can be the change?
difference and with eighty percent we are able to do this, everyday!
Both of us are driven by the same thing. Sports, wellbeing and creating meaningful initiatives. We knew we didn’t want to work for anyone, our heads are always buzzing with ideas and ways to improve our community we always wanted jobs that made a
We combined our ideas and realized we could do a lot more if we collaborated with other entities. As a result, we founded Eighty Percent with the slogan ‘collaborating for a change’. This, to us, defines bridging the gap between private and public sector
Jalil Marvin
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when it comes to supporting an issue or providing an opportunity to a sidelined segment - which we successfully did in all our events and continue to strive for in the way we work. WHAT MAKES EIGHTY PERCENT AS A BUSINESS DIFFERENT FROM ALL OTHER BUSINESSES?
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Jalil Marvin
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“ We cater to a demographic of the K u w a i t i c o m m u n i t y, specifically women, w h o m a ke u p more than half the population. We want to inspire change in these women, and if we are successful in just that, then it would b e e n o u g h f o r u s .�
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their own bosses. They want more free time and a better work-life balance. Young people aren’t interested in desk jobs and climbing the greasy pole at a major MNC, so we look into future and what the next generation wants and we provide. We would rather stay grounded. If the system does not change, then nobody will. W H AT A R E T H E G OA L S YO U SET FOR EIGHT Y PERCENT? WHERE DO YOU WANT TO BE? We have many goals but one main goal which we always mention is to be a Sports Management organization that aims to activate the lifestyles of GCC communities. The idea is not for the eighty percent to have branches that we operate from in the GCC, but rather to replicate the model we have here once we are fully comfortable with it with like minded organizations and/or individuals. We would like our events to become bigger and help create more meaningful jobs for youth in sports. YOU HAVE L ANDED L A LIGA AS A SUPPORTER FOR THE WFT. TALK TO US ABOUT THE DEAL AND THE POTENTIAL PARTNERSHIP YOU MAY BUILD WITH L ALIGA.
Its our inclusive collaborative nature which is ingrained in our philosophy as an organization, “sharing is caring” although it sounds like a cliche, but we really care about sharing our work be it with organizations or individuals, at eighty percent we always encourage youth from different walks of life to join our events team and help us deliver stronger
Jalil Marvin
and bigger events each year, not only does this inclusive model provide better more diverse events but also provides youth with a platform to hone their professional skills and further solidifies our mission to inspiring a more active community. Youth today want to work independently, and many want to be
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It was a long 6 months of negotiations with LaLiga and seeing how insignificant Kuwait is on their map compared to the other Asian countries. The market is very small, there are barely any football activities for women. They did not even know that women played football in Kuwait. We initially contacted them through the Dubai office and got connected to the Madrid office where we met with Laliga women football department for a pitch and shared our statistics, findings and current women football landscape in Kuwait, this
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got Laliga interested to explore the opportunity further as they had similar issues since women there do not get a lot of funding to play sports like men do, we all had the same goal. WFT 3.0’s successful partnership with LaLiga, which reached fruition during the Ramadan Tournament in June 2018 has brought much needed support from the Kuwait Football Association as well as the Public Authority of Sports who took notice to women football and are
now actively engaged in reforming a once neglected segment & sport. Our partnership with La Liga is just at its beginning and we promise to deliver a bigger tournament each year! WHAT WOULD MAKE IT EASIER FOR EIGHTY PERCENT TO REACH ITS GOALS? A more informed and developed government especially in the matters of youth and sports, and definitely
having a bigger team would also help us achieve our goals, we are currently in the midst of hiring a team on project basis, we encourage anyone with experience in events and sports to share their resume’s with us via info@eightypercent.co Especially if like us you are independent and like to work remotely. You can read more about our events and what we do through our website www.eightypercent.co or follow up on instagram @80percent.co
“A l t h o u g h i t s o u n d s l i k e a c l i c h e , w e r e a l l y c a r e about sharing our work - be it with organizations o r i n d i v i d u a l s .”
THE MOMENT
abbas abdulrahman Abbas Abdulrahman competes in the men’s 1-metre springboard preliminary diving event in the FINA World Championships at the Piscina Municipal de Montjuic in Barcelona on July 20, 2013. Javiwe Soriano | AFP | Getty Images
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SPORTS SCIENCE
SEEKING A NUTRITIONIST FOR HELP Written by Faisal Al Shawa | Founder of Believe Nutrition
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oday, we’re faced with so much information on the internet, so many nutritionists on social media, that we’re confused as to what’s actually right for us to do. What should we eat? What should we avoid? Nutrition is becoming more and more complicated than it should be! For this blog, I want to share with you my experience of working with other nutritionists as well as clients. This blog does not serve as a way for me to brag or hit out against other nutritionists. This blog serves as a guide for you to know what to look for when seeking for a nutritionist for help and guidance. Here are 5 things to look out for:
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K N OW T H E I R BAC KG RO U N D Fortunately and unfortunately, so many certifications are available today which makes it easy for anyone and everyone to becoming a ‘certified’ nutritionist. With that being said, it’s so important to know the nutritionist you are dealing with. Ask them about their education, qualifications and even experience working in the field. I would recommend you go to someone who actually has a for-
Left: Courtesy of Faisal Al Shawa
mal education in nutrition, dietetics, or a related field. That means having a bachelors and/or masters in the appropriate field. Your health lies in the hands of someone, so you want to make sure that someone is qualified and credible!
you an example: if you’re seeing a sports nutritionist who doesn’t workout and doesn’t know what it feels like to train at varying intensities, is it a good idea to get sports nutrition advice from that nutritionist? Some food for thought.
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FIND THEIR WORK Look into the nutritionist you are working with and see if they have perhaps written any blogs, books and/or published journal articles. If you can ‘google’ them and find their pieces of work, then you can tell the nutritionist is proactive in the field and actually doing his/her work with passion.
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OBSERVE THEIR PHYSIQUE You want to get advice from a nutritionist who actually looks like a nutritionist. The last thing you want is to get eating advice from someone who doesn’t actually represent and define the advice and guidelines they give you. Would you want to see a dentist with bad teeth?
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THEY SHOULD PRACTICE WHAT THEY PREACH It’s so important to see nutritionists who stand by what they you do, and believe in what they do. Let me give
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EVALUATE THEIR WAY OF WORK Does the nutritionist show genuine care in your goal and change toward a healthier lifestyle? Are they creating a friendly relationship that’s more than just a nutritionist-client relationship? Do they educate you along the way and make you understand why they are giving you certain advice, or why they structure their meal programs the way they do? If you answer no to any of these questions, you need to revisit your decision of seeing that nutritionist.
After all, I have great respect for people in the field trying to help others becoming healthier versions of themselves. Providing value to society is a beautiful thing. With that said, though, be aware of who you choose and make sure the nutritionist you work with is qualified and credible to give you health advice and guidance.
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UAAK
AOU double down on gold! A O U w o n t h e UA A K F u t s a l a n d Vo l l e y b a l l l e a g u e
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he Arab Open University’s futsal and volleyball teams won first place in the Universities Athletics Association of Kuwait (UAAK). The men’s futsal team defeated the American University in Kuwait 6-3 to win the UAAK trophy while the men’s volleyball team won the UAAK volleyball league final against the American University of the Middle East three sets to nothing. The president of the Arab Open University in Kuwait, Dr. Nayef
Courtesy of AOU
Al-Mutairi, said that his university teams exerted great efforts in achieving this precious achievement, praising the efforts of the students who proved their quality and to the other teams. He added: “We are proud of the recent achievement made by our students and for raising the university’s name high among institutions of higher education.” Dr. Al Mutairi awarded AOU’s recent success to the Chairman his Royal Highness Prince Talal Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and the Board of Trustees of
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the University. He thanked them for their continuing support of the university and student-athletes. The Dean of Students Affairs Maha Mohammed Al-Asqa said that this achievement was achieved only through the continuous financial and moral support from the university administration to the students who participated in these tournaments, praising the efforts of sports coordinator Abbas Al-Kout, the coach, and team members.
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HIGHLIGHT
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uwait Amateur League (KAL) is one of the first n o n - p ro fe s s i o n a l fo o tball leagues for men in Kuwait. Their first league ran from November 2017 to March 2018, and at the end of the league, a Golden Square Tournament was battled out between the top 6 teams. The league had a total of 12 teams, made of Football Academies and various Fan Clubs. KAL is a 9-a-side league and fixtures were played every week with an official referee. The founder of the KAL, Essa Al Daihani, was inspired to create this league because he recognized that the football market in Kuwait is lacking competitive amateur football leagues. Khaled Abdulqader,
Courtesy of Loyac
co -fo u n d e r a n d CO O o f L i 3 i b , attended the first meeting between Eisa and all team representatives. In an open environment, Eisa explained the rules of the league and shared that they plan to organize this competition for many years to come, as it is sponsored by the Public Authority of Sport. The optimal aim of the league is to boost participation and competition of amateur players, to further help Kuwait grow the largest sport in the world. Fourteen caught up with Khaled Abdulqader to get some more insight about the league. As you witnessed the games of the league and tournament, what makes the league special? I attended the finals of the tournament and appreciated that the league and tournament
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was extremely organized; each team had a tactical manager, teams had fans cheering them on, and all teams wore full kits sponsored by Errea. “Just how it was an opportunity for amateur players to express themselves on a highly organized league, it was also an opportunity for local Kuwaiti startups to step up and prove themselves on a larger platform” – Khaled Abdulqader. Talk to us about the format of the league. The KAL had an interesting take on the league format. The league started as a round-robin (where all teams face each other weekly), and then concluded by a knockout tournament, which consisted of the top 6 ranked teams from season long league. The champions of the
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THE KUWAIT AMATEUR LEAGUE In collaboration with Li3ib, the media sponsors An inter view with Khaled Ahmad Abdulqader | Li3ib Co-Founder & COO
knockout tournament (the Golden Square Tournament), was Inter Fan Club, who interestingly ranked third place in the round-robin. What did you find most interesting about this league? What we learned is that there is a high demand for amateur football and sports organization in Kuwait. We were happy to work with another company with similar visions for the sports market and community, and they are excited for the new generation of entrepreneurs in Kuwait. We also realized that sometimes it’s best to collaborate than to compete, to develop something truly special. What was Li3ib’s role in the league? We were KAL’s media sponsors, who
Courtesy of Loyac
presented the entire league on their website. We updated the website after each round of matches, with up to date standings, results, and upcoming fixtures. We also shared on Instagram the results of matches every week, for all participants and competitors to see. This created an exciting environment as teams eagerly waited to see the progress of their rivals. A lot has been developing in football in Kuwait recently, especially after the ban was lifted. What do you feel is still missing in this sport in Kuwait?Worldwide, professional footballers from a young age grow up knowing they can pursue football as a full time career. Here in Kuwait, even if you become professional and
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play on a regional scale, you will still need to have a full time job elsewhere. A great example is Bader Al Mutawaa, the best footballer in this generation, is part of the National Guard. It isn’t necessarily a negative factor, but it just makes a statement about football in Kuwait. Kuwait needs the right coaches who are role models. Top quality coaching and guidance to participants from youth age to build them up to having professional careers. Once the quality of the players is enhanced, the football market as a whole in Kuwait will be boosted. Managers, fans, referees and the local youth will all be more motivated to take part in the professional football sector of Kuwait.
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THE EVENT
F O L LO W Y O U R D R E A M S An inter view with Maite Ventura and Alba Redondo
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ighty Percent have received the support of LaLiga in their third edition of the Women’s Football Tournament (WFT 3.0). This partnership has added to the legitimacy of the competition and has proved LaLiga to be an international agent of change helping develop football all around the world. As a part of LaLiga’s backing of the tournament they have sent one of Fundacion Albacete’s top players Alba Redondo to Kuwait to lead a football workshop for women. The football workshop took place on the 19th of May.
“Eighty Percent’s tournament is a very interesting project for us because it fits well within our objectives in developing women’s football and creating more opportunities for women to play football. LaLiga fully understands and aids such tournaments as they have a positive impact not only in football and sports but also on a societal level.” After leading the workshop with two coaches from the Kuwait Football Association Alba Redondo expressed her delight in being a part of this collaboration. “I am very happy to be here in Kuwait and being allowed to share my knowledge and experience of football with women in Kuwait.” She continues “The objective of the session was for the women that turned up to have a fun training session and I feel we achieved that objective.” Although the women at the session were not of the same caliber as Redondo she was still able to see potential in some of the players. She had some words of advice to share with them “As I told all the players in the training session, if they love football they should never stop playing and they should never believe anyone who tells them that they can’t do it. They should try their best and follow their dreams.” In the end the 21-yearold concluded by thanking everyone and saying “Since I arrived last night everything and everyone was welcoming and helpful. My only regret is that I must travel back to Spain and will not be able to watch the tournament or get to know more about Kuwait.”
Fourteen interviewed Maite Ventura the LaLiga Global Network Delegate in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and discussed La Liga’s collaboration with Eighty Percent. Then sat down with Liga Iberdrola’s 5th top goal scorer Alba Redondo and talked about her experience leading the women’s football workshop. LaLiga has contributed in the development of football in the region since it opened in 2013 its first international office in the UAE where they have founded a High Performance Centre, that enables the youth across the UAE to train yearlong to become future national, regional and international pro-footballers. Ms. Ventura explains “Our goal is to help develop football in the region and build fruitful partnerships with different federations and institutions such as Eighty Percent in Kuwait.” She continues
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