(From left) Ali Al Muftha, Ward Abdallah, Hamad Al Mannai, and Miguel Heitor at a press conference on the Al Kass under-16 event yesterday.
Doha: Football stars of the future will take to Aspire Zone’s pitches tomorrow as junior players from some of the best teams in the world go head-to-head at the third annual Al Kass International Cup.
The tournament begins with last year’s runners-up, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), taking on FC Barcelona. The second match will see Qatar’s Aspire International play Real Madrid, before last year’s champions, Fluminense of Brazil, come up against French newcomers Auxerre.
“Since its inception in 2012, year-on-year the Al Kass International Cup has grown to be an elite showcase of the world’s best junior football talent, providing a glimpse of what to expect from some of the world’s most beloved football clubs in years to come,” said Essa Al Hetmi, Chairman of Al Kass Organising Committee.
“The tournament also seeks to raise the level of competition within Qatar and provide an exciting experience for not only the visiting players but the spectators as well. With lots of prizes to be had, I urge Qatar’s public to come along to the games and support their favourite teams, so as not to miss out on all the live action.”
The Al Kass Organising Committee has set the prize money at $75,000 for the tournament champions. The team finishing in 12th place will receive $4,000, with a range of awards in between. An additional $3,000 will be given to the tournament’s top players, scorers and goalkeepers, with $1,000 awarded to each man of the match.
Spectators at the tournament will also have the chance to win big, with daily cash prizes of up to $5,000 on offer. In addition two daily winners will be selected for the best fan banner and outfit and walk away with $800 in cash.
In addition, department store 51 East will be giving away 10 PlayStation 4 consoles during a raffle at the tournament’s closing ceremony. Coca Cola will be awarding one year’s supply of its soda to five winners, who will walk away with 30 boxes each. The prize draw will take place after the final match, with entrance tickets used as raffle tokens.
This year, for the first time, a team from the USA will compete, with Chicago Fire participating. The teams are divided into four groups of three, with the top two teams from each group qualifying for the quarter-finals to compete for the Al Kass trophy.
THE PENINSULA
