SME-Written by/ Saad Al-Houti
Under the high and generous patronage of
His Highness the Amir
Sheikh Mishaal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, may God protect him and grant him a long life and keep him as a treasure and pride for Kuwait and its people and for everyone who lived on its land, the Gulf Zain 26 Championship was opened yesterday, Saturday, on the beloved land of Kuwait at Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium.
So welcome and welcome to all guests and brothers from the athletes to live the most beautiful moments to enjoy watching the championship matches.
And here we are receiving dear brothers in our hearts on the occasion of hosting the tournament that is dear to the people of the Gulf and football lovers. This is a tournament that we have been waiting for for years since its last organization in Kuwait so that the Gulf sports family can gather on the land of goodness, love and peace..
And we say to everyone, yes, Kuwait is celebrating this tournament that started small with the participation of four teams at a time when the stadium floors were only sandy, so that the experience of organizing it was weak in all aspects of technical and administrative football
and sports and media facilities.
But the important part of this championship is the continuation of the great interest that the Gulf tournaments have received from the political leadership in the Gulf countries, as they played a major role in providing unlimited support because it is a tournament that is dear to the hearts of the people of this region and its sports sons from the Gulf.
Personally, and like many others, the Gulf Cup tournaments were the path that paved the way for us to reach international tournaments such as the World Cup, the Asian Football Cup and the Olympic Games, and we achieved results that dazzled and astonished the world through our first participation in what I mentioned above.
Our national team, the Blues, had the lead in reaching the World Cup in Spain in 1982, and the Blues won the Asian Football Cup title and became the first Arab team in Asia to achieve this great achievement and the first Gulf team as well.
This opens the way for the rest of the teams that nothing is impossible when the desire and determination are present thanks to the state and our honorable rulers and their encouragement of their sons and their strong support.
Anyone who follows the stages of the birth of this tournament sees that it started small
and then grew and became competitive with regional tournaments that preceded it in terms of interest, organization and quality, as some Gulf countries had previously hosted tournaments at the level of the Asian continent
and Kuwait was a pioneer in such organization and succeeded in organizing the Asian Cup in 1980 and won its precious cup, and in another Gulf and Asian achievement, the Saudi national team succeeded in winning
more than once the Asian Cup title, as did the Qatari national team twice
and Kuwait reached the World Cup in 1982 in Spain and the UAE national team reached Italy and the Saudi national team four times and its last World Cup was in 2022
in Qatar and its great victory over the Argentine national team at the beginning of the tournament.
The peoples of the world will not forget the wonderful and dazzling organizational level that the State of Qatar presented in the World Cup and its unparalleled success from the beginning of the tournament until the closing day.
And here we are, reaping what I mentioned earlier, specifically these days after the announcement of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s winning bid to host the 2034 World Cup. We congratulate them on this great achievement, and we will certainly also witness a dazzling and wonderful World Cup that Saudi Arabia will present to us, due to its possession of the elements of success, excellence, administrative capabilities, and material and technical capabilities in work. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will also host the Asian Football Cup in 2027. All that we have achieved is due to the Gulf Championship and its continuity. We have become ambitious and looking forward to reaching better and higher levels. It is our duty to thank the noble contribution of the leadership and the passion of the Kuwaiti public, as they played a major role in supporting this championship, its continuity, and caring for it. Welcome to the Gulf Football Competition and Love Championship, where our dear country is adorned and perfumed with the presence of everyone, and the land of friendship and peace is blessed with the kind presence of our brothers, the sisterly Gulf public. We ask God Almighty to protect the rulers of the Gulf, prolong their lives, and keep them as a treasure and pride for our dear Gulf, O Lord.
Captain of the Blues in the Golden Age / Saad Al-Houty.
